Sir Keir Starmer has expressed his ‘unwavering support for Ukraine’ after speaking with both US and Ukrainian presidents following their Oval Office spat, Downing Street has said.
The PM’s office said he had spoken to them both and retains the support for Ukraine.
The statement goes to say that he is doing ‘all that he can to find a path forward to a lasting peace based on sovereignty and security for Ukraine’.
This comes after the two presidents had a fiery exchange in which Mr Trump accused Mr Zelensky of ‘gambling with World War III and JD Vance saying he was ungrateful for the support the US offered.
Since the 50-minute moment caught on live TV, several EU leaders voiced their support for their Ukrainian counterpart after he trolled Trump and Vance by thanking ‘America’ multiple times.
Since then, it has taken hours for Downing Street to come out with a statement.
During the tense exchange, Trump threatened to abandon Ukraine completely if Zelensky did not agree to his peace terms. He also accused Zelensky of not being grateful.
Starmer, who met with Trump yesterday, expressed his ‘unwavering support for Ukraine’ after the feud
President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky’s meeting in the Oval Office became a shouting match
Zelensky held his own, even showing Trump photos he brought of the devastation to his country, and arguing he had thanked the American people.
The yelling match was unlike anything ever seen publicly in the Oval Office. And it played out on TV screens across the world.
Trump was repeatedly shouting over Zelensky as he tried to defend his position.
After the meeting, Trump announced in a statement that the Ukrainian president was ‘not prepared for peace’ before Zelensky left the White House.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote:. ‘It’s amazing what comes out through emotion, and I have determined that President Zelensky is not ready for Peace if America is involved.
‘Because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations. I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.’
As European leaders such as French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk backed Zelensky, Downing Street remained quiet – until now.
The PM’s office said he had spoken to the US and Ukrainian president
President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky’s meeting in the Oval Office became a shouting match
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky leaves the White House
While there was shock in Europe, Moscow was quick to show their approval with the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Medvedev saying on X: ‘The insolent pig finally got a proper slap down in the Oval Office. And @realDonaldTrump is right: The Kiev regime is “gambling with WWIII.”‘
Mr Zelensky issued an apology on X following the spat which saw him being kicked out of the White House.
In a seemingly sarcastic post, he thanked America four times after its Vice President accused him of not being grateful for the support the US provided the country.
He said: ‘Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit. Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.’
Trump blasted Zelensky for talking over him, saying: ‘What you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country that’s backed you far more than a lot of people say they should’.
A source familiar with the meeting at the White House told DailyMail.com that Zelensky’s demeanor was surprising to American officials in the room.
‘No one expected the meeting to play out as it did, because nobody expected to act that way,’ the source said.
Vance noted that Biden stood up for four years and ‘talked tough’ while ‘thumping his chest’ but Putin invaded Ukraine anyway.
‘The path to peace and the path to prosperity is maybe engaging in diplomacy,’ he said.
Zelensky explained that Russian President Vladimir Putin had been occupying parts of his country since 2014, beginning in Crimea, and that nobody would stop him and broke a negotiated ceasefire.
He went on to say: ‘You have to be thankful. You don’t have the cards. You’re buried there. Your people are dying. You’re running low on soldiers.
‘Listen, you’re running low on soldiers. It would be a damn good thing… Then you tell us, I don’t want a cease fire. I don’t want to cease fire. I want to go and I want this’
He added: ‘You’re either gonna make a deal our we’re out. And if we’re out you’ll fight it out.’
The fiery exchange happened as Trump met with Sir Keir Starmer and Mr Macron in Washington earlier this week.
The US president hailed ‘special’ Sir Keir during an extraordinary meeting to discuss Ukraine’s future and the role the two countries have in the peacemaking process.
