Starmer sought to encourage Trump to use his power to help American allies. Including, tacitly, Australia. One day after King Charles used his state banquet address to describe the AUKUS submarine pact as a “vital” collaboration, Starmer highlighted it again.
“We have the deepest, most advanced defence relationship in the world,” the prime minister said as he stood alongside Trump.
“Our warriors train together and they fight together. Our industries build together – everything from fast jets to new AUKUS-class submarines.” Another signal to Trump to back AUKUS despite the sceptics in the Pentagon.
On Ukraine, the prime minister tried to remind the president that American power matters. “We have to put extra pressure on Putin,” he said. “And it’s only when the president has put pressure on Putin that he’s actually shown any inclination to move.”
That sounded like an admission of impotence for Europe when Britain and the European Union are hardly powerless. Their combined economy is at least 10 times the size of Russia’s. But they have tried economic sanctions, and personal sanctions against Putin’s cronies, but this is clearly not enough.
What else can be done? Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wants NATO members to help defend the skies over Ukraine against Russian missiles and drones – something the allies have avoided for more than three years. Poland, however, is listening.
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“Protection for our population – for example, from falling debris – would naturally be greater if we could combat drones and other flying objects beyond our national territory,” said Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski three days ago.
“If Ukraine were to ask us to shoot them down over its territory, that would be advantageous for us. If you ask me personally, we should consider it.”
This is a concrete example of a new course of action at a time when leaders are focused on another package of economic sanctions against Russia – due from the EU within days – and more spending on military hardware for Ukraine.
The “close the skies” request from Ukraine is loaded with risk, however, because it could bring NATO and Russian forces into direct conflict. It would not be on the agenda if Russia had not sent drones into Polish and Romanian airspace in recent weeks.
Trump had no answers at the end of his state visit. He said, yet again, that NATO allies should stop buying Russian oil. This is a fair request because Turkey, Hungary and Slovakia are still sending hard currency to Russia in exchange for oil. But it is no excuse for inaction.
Trump’s complaint is not a plan: it is merely a way to demand that others do something when he seems so unsure about what to do himself. On Ukraine, he reverts to a pattern of tough talk, indecision and missed deadlines.
The King raised a glass to Trump at Windsor Castle on Wednesday night, and he praised the president’s commitment to securing peace. The next day, however, Trump seemed to have no commitment at all.
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