Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has reaffirmed Britain’s support for Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, following remarks from Donald Trump suggesting Kyiv bore responsibility for the war and declaring its leader a “dictator without elections.”
In a 15-minute phone call with Zelenskyy on Wednesday, Starmer emphasized Britain’s commitment to Ukraine and defended Kyiv’s decision to suspend elections under martial law. He drew historical comparisons to Britain’s deferral of elections during the Second World War, framing Ukraine’s wartime governance as a necessity rather than a choice. Starmer reiterated Britain’s commitment to “a lasting peace in Ukraine” while cautioning that Western unity must be preserved. The conversation, described as warm, comes at a pivotal moment for European leaders who are still trying not to get on the wrong side of the American president.
Starmer’s intervention follows remarks by the U.S. president, who suggested that Ukraine bore responsibility for the ongoing conflict. Trump claimed Kyiv “could have made a deal a long time ago.”
Zelenskyy publicly attacked Trump this morning, accusing him of living in a “disinformation bubble,” and has grown increasingly uneasy over the trajectory of American diplomacy. His concerns were further heightened after President Vladimir Putin described U.S.-Russia talks as “extremely friendly.”
Trump, however, did not take kindly to Zelenskyy’s public criticism of him and doubled down at the FII event that Zelenskyy is a “dictator without elections” with low public approval ratings.
The diplomatic landscape is shifting. Starmer is set to travel to Washington next week for talks with Trump in what is expected to be a great test for the “special relationship.” President Emmanuel Macron is also preparing to talk to the U.S. leader who warned Zelenskyy was “not going to have a country left” without a peace deal with Russia.
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