The UK can still trust the US with Ukraine’s future despite the bad-tempered clash at the White House between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a minister has said.
Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds told Sky’s Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips there was “no ambiguity” over whether the US continued to be an important ally for Britain despite the unpleasant scenes that unfolded in the Oval Office on Friday.
There are concerns among Western leaders that the exchange – which resulted in Mr Zelenskyy leaving empty-handed and without having signed an important minerals deal to continue US support – could result in the White House withdrawing aid for Ukraine’s war effort.
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But Mr Thomas-Symonds, who is also minister for the constitution and European Union relations, said he believed we could “still trust the Americans”.
And he said that in the event the US did pull financial support for Ukraine, the UK would “continue to be an honest broker” and “bring the different parties together”.
Echoing the US’s president’s language, he added: “We will also continue to make the case that peace is made from a position of strength, not a position of weakness.
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“So, it remains critical to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position.”
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On whether Britain could still trust the Americans, Mr Thomas-Symonds replied: “Yes, I do believe we can trust the Americans.
“We do have an ally in the United States that we can trust,” he continued. “There’s no ambiguity about that.”
Sir Keir Starmer’s desire to act as bridge between the US and Europe will be tested as he hosts a number of EU leaders for a summit in London.
Present will be the leaders of Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Finland, Denmark, Norway, the Czech Republic and Romania. Canada and Turkey will also attend.
The PM’s role as a peacemaker takes on greater significance following the breakdown in relations between Mr Trump and Mr Zelenskyy that unfolded in front of the world’s TV cameras.
In the aftermath of the fallout, Sir Keir phoned Mr Zelenskyy and invited him to Downing Street on Saturday ahead of today’s summit in a show of support for Ukraine.
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He also phoned the US president, saying his “driving purpose” was to “bridge this and get us back to the central focus”.
Turning to the scenes at the Oval Office on Friday, Mr Thomas-Symonds admitted he had “never seen anything quite like that”.
“Obviously that is not how it should have happened.”
His sentiments were echoed by shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel, who said she was “absolutely aghast” at “the whole spectacle” which saw Mr Trump accuse the Ukrainian president of “disrespecting” the United States and “gambling with World War Three”.
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In a sign of how badly the meeting went, the minerals deal the pair had expected to sign – which would have established a new fund for the US to invest in Ukraine’s minerals, rare earth materials and other valuable natural resources – was put on ice.
Mr Trump viewed the minerals transaction as a fair way to recover the billions of dollars that the US has given Kyiv in its war effort and as necessary to guarantee further US military support for Ukraine.
Ms Patel said the scenes at the White House were “unedifying and undignified”.
“When we look at President Zelenskyy…I think he’s a hero,” she went on.
“He’s an absolute hero in the way in which he stood up to authoritarianism. He’s fighting for the sovereignty of his country.
“He also know when the going gets tough. You keep your disagreements not in front of cameras, but you keep them private. So, you know, we are where we are.”
