| As with other world leaders, Trump dominated the conversation. The prime minister did, however, gently push back at points – most notably when correcting Trump on the nature of British assistance to Ukraine. When Trump claimed European countries were getting most of their money back, Starmer interjected, clarifying that much of Britain’s aid to Ukraine was given, not loaned. It echoed a similar moment with the French president, Emmanuel Macron. All in all, after much hand-wringing, Starmer appears to have successfully threaded the needle with the president. Trump called him a “very tough negotiator” – high praise in Maga circles – suggesting that in private Starmer managed to hold his ground without resorting to sycophancy or outright deference. Trump and the king Trump’s admiration for the royal family is no secret – it was one of the few diplomatic cards Starmer could play with confidence. Handing over the king’s invitation to meet in Scotland, Sky’s Beth Rigby noted that Trump “genuinely seemed utterly delighted”. The clout of an unprecedented second state visit appears to have done the trick – for now. As Washington bureau chief David Smith aptly put in his sketch: “Starmer calculated correctly that the puff and pageantry of a state visit with King Charles was bound to appeal to a man who, when he recently wrote on social media, ‘LONG LIVE THE KING!’, had only himself in mind.” Denials Donald Trump took aim at Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week, falsely calling him a “dictator” and deepening the rift between the two leaders. The remark sparked widespread criticism across Europe, with Starmer making it clear he stood firmly with Zelenskyy. When a reporter pressed Trump on his comment, the former president came back with a Steve Urkel-style response: “Did I say that?” His answer made it clear he had no intention of doubling down. He did, however, attempt a conciliatory tone, calling Ukraine’s president “very brave,” though he stopped short of fully retracting his initial comment. The minerals and the peace deal After days of negotiations, Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine and the US had reached a “preliminary” deal to hand over revenue from some of Ukraine’s critical mineral resources to the US. The Trump administration expects him to sign the deal later today. Initially, Zelenskyy had accused Washington of pressuring him into an agreement that would leave 10 generations of Ukrainians paying it back. Trump defended the deal yesterday, calling it a “backstop”. He argued that the presence of American workers and companies extracting the minerals would serve as a deterrent against Russian attacks. But this falls far short of the security guarantees that Ukraine has long sought. Ultimately, Trump declined to commit to deploying US forces alongside European and British peacekeeping troops, though he insisted that the US would “always” support the British military if need be. Earlier this month, Zelenskyy warned that it would be “very, very, very difficult” for Ukraine to survive without continued US military support. “Security guarantees without America are not real security guarantees,” he told the Guardian. On the broader negotiations, Trump expressed confidence that Putin would honour a peace deal. “I don’t believe he’s going to violate his word. I don’t think he’ll be back when we make a deal. I think the deal is going to hold now. They’re going to have security.” Earlier in the day, Putin continued his months-long charm offensive towards Trump, praising his administration for its “pragmatism, a realistic worldview”. Chagos Islands Trump suggested he would support the UK’s controversial plan to give up control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, which would then lease one of the islands back to Britain to maintain a strategic airbase used by both the UK and the US. The deal was first announced in October but became mired in uncertainty after the election of a new Mauritian leader, who has pushed to reopen negotiations. He is asking for changes that could see the total cost soar from £8bn to £19bn. The government has denied this and was hoping for more support from the US. Tariffs tirade The UK’s distance from the European Union appears to have worked in its favour when it comes to Trump’s tariffs. While the president did not explicitly confirm that Britain would be spared, he strongly implied it, stating that the UK is in a “very different place” to the EU. Earlier this week, Trump accused the EU of trying to “screw the United States” and said he plans to impose 25% tariffs on goods from the bloc “very soon”. His tariff tirade against allies has left the UK increasingly anxious, but for now, at least, the discussion seems to have eased those concerns. He even said the US could have “great trade agreements” with the UK. How long this goodwill will last remains uncertain. As Guardian political correspondent Andrew Sparrow noted, no matter how well this meeting went, the real test “will come when the Trump administration takes decisions, and at this point it is hard to tell how useful the positive language will turn out to be”. | 