Starmer won’t be derailed from Ukraine plan, Rayner says, amid claims Trump’s aid decision ‘humiliated’ PM
Good morning. Yesterday Keir Starmer had a comfortable two hours in the Commons during which MPs from all sides praised him, lavishly and sincerely, for the leadership he has shown on Ukraine, trying to hold the US and Europe together, while mobilising European efforts to build up support for Ukraine.
There were probably only two moments when Starmer lashed out; first at Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, whom he accused of fawning over Vladimir Putin; and then at Stephen Flynn, the SNP leader at Westminser, whom he accused of being a keyboard warrior (in response to a question from a Labour MP who was even more critical). The attack on Flynn came about half an hour after Flynn asked a perfectly reasonable question.
Unfortunately, it has been reported this afternoon that President Trump is set to meet American aides to discuss withdrawing military aid to Ukraine. Are those reports something that the prime minister recognises, and, if so, what impact will that have on the timetable to which he and President Macron are currently working?
Before going on to have a go at the SNP’s policy on nuclear disarmament, Starmer replied:
I have not seen reports of the United States withdrawing support for Ukraine, and, as I understand it, that is not its position.
Now it turns out that Flynn was right, and Starmer was wrong, because a few hours after Starmer’s statement to the Commons the White House suspended all military aid to Ukraine. Andrew Roth has the story.
The news has shocked supporters of Ukraine around the world, and we are covering the international elements of this story on our Ukraine live blog.
In the UK the news has emboldened politicians who believe that trying to act as a bridge between Washington and Europe is a hopeless cause and who want the government to be more critical of Trump. Yesterday Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, told Starmer that he thought Trump was not a reliable ally on matters relating to Russia. This morning he has posted a message on social media suggesting Starmer (who said Davey was wrong) has been humiliated.
By suspending all military aid to Ukraine, Donald Trump has humiliated the people who pretended he was a reliable ally only in search of peace.
The UK and Europe must seize frozen Russian assets to resist Putin’s unjust and savage war.
Graham Stuart, a Conservative MP, has gone even further, posting a message on social media saying it is time to consider whether Trump is actually a Russian asset.
We have to consider the possibility that President Trump is a Russian asset.
If so, Trump’s acquisition is the crowning achievement of Putin’s FSB career – and Europe is on its own.
Angela Rayner, the deputy PM, has been giving interviews this morning. In line with the approach the government has consistently adopted with Trump, she declined to say anything critical in public about his latest decision. Instead, she told the Today programme that Keir Starmer was just focused on his peace diplomacy strategy. She explained:
He’s laser-focused on getting peace. He won’t be derailed by announcements. He will continue that dialogue with our oldest and strongest ally, the US, and with European partners and with Ukraine.
I will post more comments from Rayner’s interviews on the Today programme and ITV’s Good Morning Britain soon.
Here is the agenda for the day.
9.30am: Keir Starmer chairs cabinet.
10am: Tim Davies, director general of the BBC, and Samir Shah, its chair, give evidence to the Commons culture committee.
11am: Farmer opposed to the government plan to subject farms to inheritance tax hold another rally in Whitehall.
11.30am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.
11.30am: Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, takes questions in the Commons.
2.15pm: Reeves speaks at a MakeUK conference.
And at some point today the government is expected to publish its latest amendments to the employment rights bill.
If you want to contact me, please post a message below the line or message me on social media. I can’t read all the messages BTL, but if you put “Andrew” in a message aimed at me, I am more likely to see it because I search for posts containing that word.
If you want to flag something up urgently, it is best to use social media. You can reach me on Bluesky at @andrewsparrowgdn. The Guardian has given up posting from its official accounts on X but individual Guardian journalists are there, I still have my account, and if you message me there at @AndrewSparrow, I will see it and respond if necessary.
I find it very helpful when readers point out mistakes, even minor typos. No error is too small to correct. And I find your questions very interesting too. I can’t promise to reply to them all, but I will try to reply to as many as I can, either BTL or sometimes in the blog.
Key events
In an interview with ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Angela Rayner, the deputy PM, declined to say whether Keir Starmer will be calling President Trump today to discuss his decision to halt military aid to Ukraine. She said she would not give a “running commentary” on what the PM does day by day.
Rayner defends Starmer’s decision to offer Trump unprecedented second state visit
In her interview on the Today programme this morning Angela Rayner, the deputy PM, repeatedly refused to criticise President Trump for his decision to suspend military aid to Ukraine, and she insisted that Keir Starmer would not be “derailed” by this latest development. Here are some more quotes from her interview with Emma Barnett.
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Rayner defended Starmer’s visit to offer President Trump an unprecedented second state visit. When he was in the White House on Thursday last week, Starmer handed Trump a letter from King Charles containing the invitation, in a transparent appeal to the president’s vanity and self-importance. Asked if the government would regret offering this invitation in the light of what he is doing now, Rayner replied:
The prime minister yesterday was really clear on this. The US is our oldest ally. Our military capabilities, our support, our trading partners – we are the closest of allies. So our relationship with the US is incredibly important and will continue, and it will endure, despite who may be in office at the time. And I think President Trump is absolutely of the same view.
And the prime minister, I think, has done an excellent job … He won’t choose between the US and Europe. That is not in British interest.
My reaction is is that we have to get the peace, and we have to continue with that. We have to continue with our support for Ukraine and the dialogue.
At another point she described the decision as “a matter for the US”.
Starmer expected to miss meeting of EU leaders on Thursday to discuss Ukraine, despite being invited
Jessica Elgot
Commenting on President Trump’s decision to halt military aid to Ukraine, a Number 10 source said the UK remained committed to “putting Ukraine in strongest possible position” including a £3bn a year commitment and the loan signed at the weekend backed by frozen Russian assets. “We continue to work intensively to bring US and Ukraine back together,” the source said.
The prime minister is expected to skip a European council meeting on Thursday – to which the UK had been invited – where leaders are locked in conflict over a new defence package to Ukraine.
Keir Starmer spoke to President Trump twice over the weekend as he urged him not to abandon Ukraine. Number 10 was tight-lipped this morning about whether there would be further contact.
The defence secretary John Healey is due to fly to Washington to meet his counterpart Pete Hegseth this week where he is expected to set out some of the options discussed by the UK and France.
Trump’s decision to halt military aid to Ukraine ‘profoundly worrying’, says Badenoch
The Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said President Trump’s decision to suspend military aid to Ukraine is “profoundly worrying”. In a post on social media this morning, she says:
The news overnight that America is halting military aid to Ukraine is profoundly worrying. It is clear that Britain and Europe must re-arm much faster if we want to provide Ukraine with more than just warm words of support. We must work to keep America in, and Russia out.
We will be opening comments on the blog at about 10am. I’m sorry we are not able to open them earlier.
Starmer won’t be derailed from Ukraine plan, Rayner says, amid claims Trump’s aid decision ‘humiliated’ PM
Good morning. Yesterday Keir Starmer had a comfortable two hours in the Commons during which MPs from all sides praised him, lavishly and sincerely, for the leadership he has shown on Ukraine, trying to hold the US and Europe together, while mobilising European efforts to build up support for Ukraine.
There were probably only two moments when Starmer lashed out; first at Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, whom he accused of fawning over Vladimir Putin; and then at Stephen Flynn, the SNP leader at Westminser, whom he accused of being a keyboard warrior (in response to a question from a Labour MP who was even more critical). The attack on Flynn came about half an hour after Flynn asked a perfectly reasonable question.
Unfortunately, it has been reported this afternoon that President Trump is set to meet American aides to discuss withdrawing military aid to Ukraine. Are those reports something that the prime minister recognises, and, if so, what impact will that have on the timetable to which he and President Macron are currently working?
Before going on to have a go at the SNP’s policy on nuclear disarmament, Starmer replied:
I have not seen reports of the United States withdrawing support for Ukraine, and, as I understand it, that is not its position.
Now it turns out that Flynn was right, and Starmer was wrong, because a few hours after Starmer’s statement to the Commons the White House suspended all military aid to Ukraine. Andrew Roth has the story.
The news has shocked supporters of Ukraine around the world, and we are covering the international elements of this story on our Ukraine live blog.
In the UK the news has emboldened politicians who believe that trying to act as a bridge between Washington and Europe is a hopeless cause and who want the government to be more critical of Trump. Yesterday Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, told Starmer that he thought Trump was not a reliable ally on matters relating to Russia. This morning he has posted a message on social media suggesting Starmer (who said Davey was wrong) has been humiliated.
By suspending all military aid to Ukraine, Donald Trump has humiliated the people who pretended he was a reliable ally only in search of peace.
The UK and Europe must seize frozen Russian assets to resist Putin’s unjust and savage war.
Graham Stuart, a Conservative MP, has gone even further, posting a message on social media saying it is time to consider whether Trump is actually a Russian asset.
We have to consider the possibility that President Trump is a Russian asset.
If so, Trump’s acquisition is the crowning achievement of Putin’s FSB career – and Europe is on its own.
Angela Rayner, the deputy PM, has been giving interviews this morning. In line with the approach the government has consistently adopted with Trump, she declined to say anything critical in public about his latest decision. Instead, she told the Today programme that Keir Starmer was just focused on his peace diplomacy strategy. She explained:
He’s laser-focused on getting peace. He won’t be derailed by announcements. He will continue that dialogue with our oldest and strongest ally, the US, and with European partners and with Ukraine.
I will post more comments from Rayner’s interviews on the Today programme and ITV’s Good Morning Britain soon.
Here is the agenda for the day.
9.30am: Keir Starmer chairs cabinet.
10am: Tim Davies, director general of the BBC, and Samir Shah, its chair, give evidence to the Commons culture committee.
11am: Farmer opposed to the government plan to subject farms to inheritance tax hold another rally in Whitehall.
11.30am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.
11.30am: Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, takes questions in the Commons.
2.15pm: Reeves speaks at a MakeUK conference.
And at some point today the government is expected to publish its latest amendments to the employment rights bill.
If you want to contact me, please post a message below the line or message me on social media. I can’t read all the messages BTL, but if you put “Andrew” in a message aimed at me, I am more likely to see it because I search for posts containing that word.
If you want to flag something up urgently, it is best to use social media. You can reach me on Bluesky at @andrewsparrowgdn. The Guardian has given up posting from its official accounts on X but individual Guardian journalists are there, I still have my account, and if you message me there at @AndrewSparrow, I will see it and respond if necessary.
I find it very helpful when readers point out mistakes, even minor typos. No error is too small to correct. And I find your questions very interesting too. I can’t promise to reply to them all, but I will try to reply to as many as I can, either BTL or sometimes in the blog.
