Tag: Trump

PM: ‘Britain will lead from the front’

Prime Minister Starmer’s statement to the House of Commons: 3 March 2025

Mr. Speaker 

Less than a week since I called on this House to show the courage of our predecessors we see clearly before us – the test of our times. A crossroads in our history.   

So with permission I will update the House on my efforts to secure a strong, just and lasting peace following Russia’s vile invasion of Ukraine. 

Mr. Speaker – it begins in this House where on Tuesday, I announced the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War.

A recognition of the fact that once again, we live in an era where peace in Europe depends upon strength and deterrence.

But also – a rediscovery of the old post-war argument long-held on these benches that economic security is national security. 

Because Mr. Speaker, the demands we now have to make of Britain must come alongside a new foundation of security for working people. 

The tough choices we made last week, they are not done. We must use the process of getting to 3% of our national income spent on defence to fundamentally rebuild British industry. 

Use our investment in military spending to create new jobs and apprenticeships in every part of our country. 

And that’s why, last night, I announced a deal that perfectly symbolises this new era. 

A partnership with Ukraine that allows them to use £1.6 billion of UK Export Finance to buy 5,000 air defence missiles, manufactured in Belfast. That means UK jobs, UK skills, UK finance , pulling together for our national interest.

Putting Ukraine in the strongest possible position for peace and protecting innocent civilians from the terror of Russian drones. 

Mr. Speaker, my efforts continued on Thursday when I met President Trump in the White House to strengthen our relationship with America. 

Now, what happened in his subsequent meeting with President Zelenskyy is something nobody in this House wants to see. 

But I do want to be crystal clear: we must strengthen our relationship with America for our security, for our technology, for our trade and investment. They are and always will be – indispensable. 

And we will never choose between either side of the Atlantic. In fact, Mr. Speaker, if anything, the past week has shown that that idea to be totally unserious. Because while some people may enjoy the simplicity of taking a side, this week has shown with total clarity that the US is vital in securing the peace we all want to see in Ukraine. 

So I welcome the opportunity for a new economic deal with the US, confirmed by the President last week, because it is an opportunity I am determined to pursue. 

I welcome the positive discussions we had on European security, including his clear support for Article 5 of NATO. I welcome the understanding, from our dialogue that our two nations will work together on security arrangements for a lasting peace in Ukraine. 

And I also welcome the President’s continued commitment to that peace which nobody in this House should doubt for a second – is sincere. 

Mr. Speaker, I now turn to events this weekend and the moving scenes that greeted President Zelenskyy as he arrived in London on Saturday. 

Mr. Speaker I saw for myself that he was taken aback when the crowd in Whitehall cheered at the top of their voices, and they were speaking for the whole of our country.

A reminder – that this Government, this House and this nation stand in unwavering support behind him and the people of Ukraine. 

Mr. Speaker, we resolved together to move forward the strong cause of just and lasting peace for Ukraine.  

And then on Sunday I hosted European leaders from across our continent, equally committed to this cause including President Macron, Prime Minister Meloni, the leaders of NATO, the European Commission and Council and the Prime Minister of Canada, a vital ally of this country, the Commonwealth and Ukraine responsible for training over 40,000 Ukrainian troops.  

I also had the privilege beforehand of speaking online to the leaders of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia – each of whom, as close as they are to the frontline with Russia, stressed the urgency of the moment. 

And Mr. Speaker, it was a productive summit. Together, we agreed a clear strategy. That the United Kingdom, France and our allies will work closely with Ukraine on a plan to stop the fighting, which we will then discuss directly with the United States. 

It is a plan that has four clear principles, which I will now share in full with the House:

First, that we must keep the military aid to Ukraine flowing, keep increasing the economic pressure on Russia. And to that end, alongside our partnership on air defence we are doubling-down on military aid. 

Already this year we have taken our support to record levels but on Saturday we also agreed a new £2.2 billion loan for Ukraine backed, not by the British taxpayer but by the profits from frozen Russian assets.

Second, we agreed that any lasting peace must guarantee the sovereignty and security of Ukraine. And that Ukraine must be at the table when negotiating their future. That is absolutely vital. 

Third, we agreed that in the event of a peace deal we will continue to boost Ukraine’s defences and Ukraine’s deterrence. 

And finally, fourth.we agreed to develop a “coalition of the willing” ready to defend a deal in Ukraine and guarantee the peace. 

After all, the Ukrainian position is completely understandable. For them, the war did not begin three years ago. That was merely the latest and most brutal escalation.  

They have signed agreements with Putin, before. They have experienced the nature of his diplomacy and the calibre of his word.  

We can’t accept a weak deal like Minsk again, No, we must proceed with strength and that does now require – urgently – a coalition of the willing. 

Mr. Speaker – we agreed on Sunday that those willing to play a role in this will intensify planning now.  And as this House would expect Britain will play a leading role. With, if necessary and together with others, boots on the ground and planes in the air. 

Mr. Speaker, it is right that Europe do the heavy lifting to support peace on our continent. But to succeed, this effort must also have strong US backing. 

I want to assure the House I take none of this lightly. I visited British troops in Estonia and no aspect of my role weighs more heavily than the deployment of British troops in the service of the defence and security in Europe.

And yet I do feel very strongly that the future of Ukraine is vital for our national security. 

Russia is a menace in our waters and skies, They have launched cyber-attacks on our NHS, assassination attempts in our streets.  

In this House, we stand by Ukraine because it is the right thing to do but we also stand by them because it is in our interest to do so. Because if we do not achieve a lasting peace then the instability and insecurity that has hit the living standards of working people in Britain that will only get worse. 

And Putin’s appetite for conflict and chaos that will only grow. 

So a strong peace, a just peace, a lasting peace, that has now to be our goal.  

It is vital, it is in our interest and its pursuit – Britain will lead from the front. 

For the security of our continent, the security of our country and the security of the British people we must now win the peace. 

And I commend this statement to the House.

UPDATE

Stakes have been raised since Starmer’s announcement to Westminster yesterday. A spokesman for the Trump government announced overnight that the USA is is to ‘pause’ military aid to Ukraine.

Trump’s USA is by far the biggest contributor to Ukraine’s military effort and this latest statement of American intent, if carried out, deals a grevious blow to Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russian invaders.

Europe’s ‘coalition of the willing’ may have to come up with a revised plan – and quickly.

European Movement in Scotland: ‘US now least reliable partner in NATO’

  • “US now least reliable partner in NATO”, says MP Stephen Gethins
  • “The democracies of the world must work together”

SNP MP, and former professor of international relations at St Andrews University, Stephen Gethins says the USA is now the least reliable partner in the NATO alliance. 

Speaking on Bylines Scotland Radio on 17 February, the MP said that the United States has dramatically changed the European security and defence environment.  

He said there is a danger that Ukraine is hung out to dry by the US and Russia. 

“The US is now the least reliable partner in NATO.” 

Mr. Gethins compared current events in Ukraine with the appeasement of Germany in the run up to WW2, when the Nazis were allowed to take over large parts of what is now the Czech Republic. 

Speaking about Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s forthcoming visit to President Trump, Gethins urged him to impress on Mr. Trump that the democracies of the world must work together. 

“He should tell Donald Trump that if you believe you are a democrat you must work with your democratic partners. Not the Russians and the Chinese, who are bullies and aggressors. They don’t share our democratic values.“

Asked about Keir Starmer saying he was prepared to send UK troops to take part in peacekeeping in Ukraine, Gethins said: “You cannot possibly conceive it as the UK going it alone.”

Gethins believed it could not be a conventional peacekeeping force and argued it would have to act as a deterrent and be a multinational force. It could not be a NATO exercise. He suggested that putting together such an armed presence would have to overcome numerous political hurdles.

The MP argued that it is now imperative that the democracies of Europe, including the UK, Norway, and Ukraine who are not in the EU, unite to defend the continent from aggressors. 

“No one individual state in Europe has the capacity to respond on its own to the threat from Russia. We must pull together as European democracies. That includes the UK getting over Brexit.”

He said Europe has the economic and manufacturing capacity to far outweigh that of Russia, but benefiting from those advantages means united action and the political and economic structures to enable that to happen. 

The SNP politician argued that the UK can’t continue to be isolated from Europe, particularly given the unreliability of the US. 

“The world of 2016, when the Brexit referendum took place, is not the world of today.” 

He said security and defence are about much more than weapons and soldiers. There are vital issues like energy security and food supply. 

“Because of EU cooperation, EU member states are now far more energy self-reliant.” 

Gethins said that rising to the new defence challenges will be hard, but the UK rejoining the European Single Market and the Customs Union is the right thing to do.

“I’d rejoin the EU.” said the MP. 

Towards the end of the interview, Gethins said we are now in a global political time when it is necessary that friends stick together. 

“Ukraine is our friend. It is in desperate need of friends. We must stick with Ukraine.”

Stephen Gethins is a Vice President of the European Movement in Scotland and a Vice President of the European Movement UK.

Listen to the full interview on Bylines Scotland Radio.

“US now least reliable partner in NATO”, says MP Stephen Gethins

It’s President Trump: God bless America

President Donald Trump’s inauguration address in full:

Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, fellow Americans, and people of the world: Thank you.

We, the citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and to restore its promise for all of our people.

Together, we will determine the course of America, and the world, for many, many years to come.

We will face challenges. We will confront hardships. But we will get the job done.

Every four years, we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power, and we are grateful to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition. They have been magnificent.

Today’s ceremony, however, has very special meaning. Because today we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another, or from one party to another – but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you, the people.

For too long, a small group in our nation’s capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost.

Washington flourished – but the people did not share in its wealth.

Politicians prospered – but the jobs left, and the factories closed.

The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country.

Their victories have not been your victories; their triumphs have not been your triumphs; and while they celebrated in our nation’s capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.

That all changes – starting right here, and right now, because this moment is your moment: it belongs to you.

It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America.

This is your day. This is your celebration.

And this, the United States of America, is your country.

What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people.

January 20th, 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again.

The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.

Everyone is listening to you now.

You came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement the likes of which the world has never seen before.

At the centre of this movement is a crucial conviction: that a nation exists to serve its citizens.

Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighbourhoods for their families, and good jobs for themselves.

These are the just and reasonable demands of righteous people and a righteous public.

But for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists: Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities; rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; an education system, flush with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge; and the crime and the gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealised potential.

This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.

We are one nation – and their pain is our pain. Their dreams are our dreams; and their success will be our success. We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny.

The oath of office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans.

For many decades, we’ve enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry;

Subsidised the armies of other countries while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military;

We’ve defended other nations’ borders while refusing to defend our own;

And spent trillions and trillions of dollars overseas while America’s infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay.

We’ve made other countries rich while the wealth, strength, and confidence of our country has dissipated over the horizon.

One by one, the factories shuttered and left our shores, with not even a thought about the millions and millions of American workers that were left behind.

The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed all across the world.

But that is the past. And now we are looking only to the future.

We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital, and in every hall of power.

From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land.

From this day forward, it’s going to be only America First, America First.

Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and American families.

We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies, and destroying our jobs. Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength.

I will fight for you with every breath in my body – and I will never, ever let you down.

America will start winning again, winning like never before.

We will bring back our jobs. We will bring back our borders. We will bring back our wealth. And we will bring back our dreams.

We will build new roads, and highways, and bridges, and airports, and tunnels, and railways all across our wonderful nation.

We will get our people off of welfare and back to work – rebuilding our country with American hands and American labour.

We will follow two simple rules: Buy American and hire American.

We will seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world – but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first.

We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example – we will shine – for everyone to follow.

We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones – and unite the civilised world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth.

At the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America, and through our loyalty to our country, we will rediscover our loyalty to each other.

When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice.

The Bible tells us: “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.”

We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity.

When America is united, America is totally unstoppable.

There should be no fear – we are protected, and we will always be protected.

We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement and, most importantly, we will be protected by God.

Finally, we must think big and dream even bigger.

In America, we understand that a nation is only living as long as it is striving.

We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action – constantly complaining but never doing anything about it.

The time for empty talk is over.

Now arrives the hour of action.

Do not allow anyone to tell you that it cannot be done. No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of America.

We will not fail. Our country will thrive and prosper again.

We stand at the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock the mysteries of space, to free the Earth from the miseries of disease, and to harness the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow.

A new national pride will stir our souls, lift our sights, and heal our divisions.

It is time to remember that old wisdom our soldiers will never forget: that whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots, we all enjoy the same glorious freedoms, and we all salute the same great American Flag.

And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the windswept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they fill their heart with the same dreams, and they are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty Creator.

So to all Americans, in every city near and far, small and large, from mountain to mountain, and from ocean to ocean, hear these words:

You will never be ignored again.

Your voice, your hopes, and your dreams, will define our American destiny. And your courage and goodness and love will forever guide us along the way.

Together, we will make America strong again.

We will make America wealthy again.

We will make America proud again.

We will make America safe again.

And, yes, together, we will make America great again.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America. Thank you. God bless America.

Donald Trump is the 45th President of the United States