Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky is set to meet Donald Trump in Washington DC to sign a critical minerals deal, as Kyiv works to regain US backing against Russia’s invasion.
Ahead of the meeting, Mr Trump denied ever calling the Ukrainian leader being a “dictator” following a Truth Social rant just last week.
“Did I say that? I can't believe I said that”, the US president said in response to a question about whether he stood by the remark, adding: “We have a lot of respect, I have a lot of respect for him.
“We've given them a lot of equipment and a lot of money, but they have fought very bravely, no matter how you figure, they have really fought.”
In a remark that may concern European leaders, Mr Trump also said he trusted Russian president Vladimir Putin to keep his word on a peace deal struck with Ukraine and suggested a minerals deal alone could deter future Russian aggression, as he met with British prime minister Keir Starmer at the White House on Thursday.
“I think Russia has been acting very well,” he said. “I think we're very well advanced on the deal, but we have not made a deal yet.”
Key Points
- Trump and Zelensky to sign minerals deal at White House meeting today
- Trump denies calling Zelensky a ‘dictator’
- Putin would keep his word on a Ukraine peace deal, says Trump
- Starmer emphasises need for security guarantees to Trump
- Russia arrests two church figures over alleged Ukrainian plot to kill ‘Putin’s confessor’
What would Ukraine’s mineral deal with Trump involve?
11:07
,
Andy Gregory
While negotiations are yet to be finalised, it has been reported the preliminary agreement establishes a fund in which Ukraine would contribute 50 per cent of proceeds from the “future monetisation” of state-owned mineral resources such as oil and gas, which would be invested in Ukrainian projects.
Included in the deal was a US commitment to back Ukraine’s economic development into the future. Deputy prime minister Olha Stefanishyna told the Financial Times that the minerals agreement is just one part of the bigger picture.
But the deal will not include the US security guarantees keenly sought after by Kyiv.
The US reportedly dropped Donald Trump’s demand for $500bn in potential revenue from Ukrainian resources, a condition which was rejected out of hand by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
My colleague Tom Watling has more details:
Macron ‘persuaded Trump not to cancel Zelensky visit’
10:54
,
Andy Gregory
Donald Trump considering cancelling Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit today before being persuaded against it by Emmanuel Macron, it has been claimed in a French media report.
Citing a diplomatic source, BFMTV claimed that the US president’s team contacted Kyiv on Wednesday to cancel the visit – prompting Mr Zelensky to contact Mr Macron, who called Mr Trump to say he would personally vouch for Mr Zelensky.
Mr Trump confirmed the visit on Wednesday, following reports that a meeting may be taking place, in an announcement which came after Kyiv-Washington relations hit a shock new low, with Mr Trump echoing Kremlin propaganda in labelling Mr Zelensky a “dictator”.
Putin’s forces launch more than 200 drones in latest aerial assault
10:26
,
Andy Gregory
Ukraine joining Nato is “just not going to happen”, Donald Trump has said, ahead of his meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky today.
Speaking in the Oval Office alongside Sir Keir Starmer on Thursday, the US president was asked about Europe’s Nato ambitions for Ukraine. He replied: “I could be very nice and say, ‘oh, we’ll work to it’. Look – it’s not going to happen. It’s just not going to happen.
“That’s what started this whole thing. Biden said that and all of a sudden the guns started. That was one of the primary reasons this started. And this was long before President Putin. They never said this was an impossibility. So we can say, ‘oh, gee, well we’ll try’, but that’s something that’s just not going to happen.”
But he continued: “Then the other question they ask is about the land – will you get your land back? Well, they’ve fought long and hard on the land ... we’re going to certainly try and get as much as we can back. But on the Nato, that’s not going to happen.”
Ukraine has ‘been quite savvy’ in securing Trump meeting, diplomat suggests
10:05
,
Andy Gregory
Even before today’s talks commence, Volodymyr Zelensky is already viewed in some quarters as having scored a diplomatic victory in securing a meeting in Washington before US-Russia peace talks begin in earnest – and just days after Donald Trump echoed Kremlin propaganda in labelling the Ukrainian president a “dictator”.
“The Ukrainians have been quite savvy at turning it round, and using this [the minerals deal] as an opening to engage the US," a senior Kyiv-based European diplomat told Reuters.
Kyiv hopes the agreement will spur Trump to back Ukraine’s war effort, and potentially even win support from Republicans in Congress for a new round of aid.
Speaking alongside Sir Keir Starmer on Thursday, Mr Trump told reporters: “It’s a backstop, you could say, I don’t think anybody’s going to play around if we’re there with a lot of workers and having to do with rare earths and other things which we need for our country.”
However, Russia’s Vladimir Putin has also touted the possibility of a US minerals deal with Moscow, including in occupied Ukrainian territory.
Russia arrests two church figures over alleged Ukrainian plot to kill ‘Putin’s confessor’
09:47
,
Andy Gregory
Russia’s FSB security service has said it arrested two church figures suspected of plotting to kill a priest close to Vladimir Putin on the instructions of Ukrainian intelligence.
The alleged target was Tikhon Shevkunov, 66, whom Russian media have described for years as “Putin’s confessor”. He has maintained a public acquaintance with Mr Putin since the late 1990s and the Kremlin has said the two men know each other well.
In 2023, Mr Shevkunov was appointed to the senior church rank of metropolitan of Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula which Russia illegally in 2014.
In a statement, the FSB said it had detained two men it claimed had been recruited by Ukrainian military intelligence on the Telegram messenger service in mid-2024. The FSB said it seized an improvised explosive device and two fake Ukrainian passports.
One of the men, Nikita Ivankovich, is a Russian cleric at a church in Moscow. The other, Denis Popovich, a Ukrainian born in the western city of Chernivtsi, worked as Mr Shevkunov's assistant.
The authorities released videos of both men confessing to the plot. They spoke hesitantly and it was not clear under what circumstances the confessions had been obtained.
Mr Popovich said he had been recruited to monitor Mr Shevkunov’s movements and threatened with the murder of his relatives unless he complied. He said he was then tasked with finding an accomplice in order to “eliminate” Mr Shevkunov.
He said the plan was to plant a bomb in a residential building of the 14th-century Sretensky Monastery in Moscow, where Mr Shevkunov was superior until 2018.
Russia claims to retake village from Ukrainian army in western Kursk region
09:35
,
Andy Gregory
Russia’s defence ministry claims its forces have retaken the village of Novaya Sorochina in Russia's western Kursk region, the RIA state news agency reports.
Russian troops have been fighting to eject Ukrainian soldiers from Kursk since last August, when Kyiv staged a lightning incursion over the border and captured a chunk of Russian territory.
Ukraine’s military claimed on Friday morning to have repelled 11 Russian attacks in Kursk over the previous 24 hours, and said Moscow’s forces had carried out 16 air strikes and launched more than 400 artillery shells at Ukrainian positions there.
Keir Starmer backs Trump‘s mineral deal with Ukraine after US meeting
09:26
,
Andy Gregory
Putin ally tells Xi in Beijing that Russia-China relations are at an unprecedented high
09:15
,
Andy Gregory
Sergei Shoigu, the secretary of Russia's powerful security council has told Chinese president Xi Jinping that Russia-China relations are at an unprecedented high, state media reports.
Mr Shoigu, who met earlier on Friday in Beijing with China’s foreign minister, said the two countries’ partnership was not directed against other nations.
China and Russia declared a “no limits” strategic partnership days before Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
Russia suffered more than 1,000 casualties over past day of fighting, Ukraine claims
08:58
,
Andy Gregory
Ukraine’s military claims to have inflicted a further 1,060 casualties upon Vladimir Putin’s forces over the past 24 hours.
In its daily frontline update, the general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said a total of 128 clashes had been taken place against Moscow’s forces, including nearly 50 Russian attacks in the direction of Pokrovsk, the Donetsk city which has been at the centre of Mr Putin’s offensive efforts for months.
Russia carried out some 91 air strikes and dropped 128 glide bombs, while firing more than 5,000 artillery shells and deploying close to 3,000 kamikaze drones, Ukraine’s military said.
Readers have their say on the US, Nato, and Europe’s security dilemma
08:42
,
Lauren MacDougall
Since Donald Trump’s return to the White House, tensions between the US and Europe — particularly Germany — have escalated daily.
This growing rift has even raised questions about the future of Nato, the world’s most powerful military alliance, which has shaped transatlantic relations since the Second World War.
Established in 1949, Nato unites 32 countries, including the US and the UK, in a collective security pact long seen as a counterbalance to Moscow.
However, Trump’s direct negotiations with Putin over the Ukraine war – excluding Europe – have deepened uncertainty. As a result, some influential Nato members are now reconsidering their commitment to the alliance.
When we asked for your views on how Europe should align itself, opinions were mixed. Some argued for full European military independence, while others cautioned against the risks, advocating for a gradual transition away from Nato. A few even called for cutting ties with the US entirely, citing growing doubts about its reliability.
Analysis: What Starmer-Trump meeting means for Anglo-American relations – and Ukraine's future
08:29
,
Andy Gregory
Trump correct that minerals deal alone could deter future Russian aggression, UK minister claims
08:20
,
Andy Gregory
Donald Trump is right that a US presence in Ukraine as a result of a minerals deal would deter further attacks from Russia, a member of Sir Keir Starmer’s Cabinet has suggested.
Health secretary Wes Streeting told Sky News that the US has been the "backstop as well as the bedrock" of European security since Nato was founded.
"I think there are two things here. One is that I think President Trump is right about the US's interests and presence in Ukraine acting as a deterrent.
"And secondly the United States has always – since Nato was founded – it has always been the backstop as well as the bedrock of European defence and security for Britain, and for the continent as well because of the shared commitments that we have through the Nato alliance."
Asked whether more than the minerals deal was needed for security in Ukraine, Mr Streeting added: “This is a fast-moving situation and we've been clear throughout we will back Ukraine to the hilt, and there can be no decision about Ukraine without Ukraine.
“That's why President Zelensky’s visit today is going to be particularly important but I think we've seen real signs of progress in recent weeks.”
Russia foils Ukraine assassination attempt on 'Putin's confessor', Moscow says
07:55
,
Bryony Gooch
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has said it foiled an attempt by Ukraine's military intelligence service to assassinate Tikhon Shevkunov, a senior priest in Russia's Orthodox Church.
Shevkunov, nicknamed “Putin’s confessor” by Russian media, has maintained a public acquaintance with President Vladimir Putin since the late 1990s and the Kremlin has said the two men know each other well.
He was appointed metropolitan of Crimea in 2023, one of the top Russian Orthodox Church officials on the peninsula. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
The FSB said in a statement it had detained one Russian and one Ukrainian man in connection with the plot and had confiscated an improvised explosive device. It said the two suspects, whom it did not name, had confessed.
It said that the two men, who it said had been recruited by Ukraine using the Telegram messenger service, had been plotting the assassination attempt since mid 2024 and had planned to kill Shevkunov in Moscow.
There was no immediate reaction from Kyiv to the allegation.
Ukraine has claimed responsibility for a number of assassinations in Russia since the start of the war in 2022, including pro-Moscow Ukrainian blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in April 2023, and the head of Russia's Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops, Igor Kirillov, in December 2024.
Trump denies calling Zelensky a 'dictator'
07:49
,
Bryony Gooch
Donald Trump has denied calling Volodymyr Zelensky a “dictator” just a week after his Truth Social rant.
When asked if he stood by his remarks about the Ukrainian president, ahead of their meeting today, he said: “Did I say that? I can’t believe I said that. Next question please.”
The US president went on to say in a press conference: “I think we’re going to have a very good meeting tomorrow morning. We’re going to get along really well.”
Ukraine shot down 107 drones out of 208 launched by Russia overnight, military says
07:21
,
Bryony Gooch
Ukraine’s military has said it shot down 107 drones out of 208 launched by Russia overnight, just days after Russia launched the largest drone attack of the war so far.
The air force said another 97 drones had been "lost" and did not reach their targets, likely due to electronic warfare countermeasures.
It did not specify what happened to the remaining four drones.
On the eve of the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the air force claimed that out of 267 Russian attack drones on the country, 138 were downed and another 119 disappeared from radars after being jammed by electronic warfare.
President Zelensky wrote on X: “Every day, our people stand against aerial terror.”
“On the eve of the third anniversary of the full-scale war, Russia launched 267 attack drones against Ukraine — the largest attack since Iranian drones began striking Ukrainian cities and villages.”
Starmer lays ground for warmer relations between Trump and Zelensky
07:15
,
Bryony Gooch
Keir Starmer didn’t barn storm the White House – he barn-owled his way into the Oval Office wisely giving the big bird confidence enough to spread his wings in welcome.
Sir Keir’s title has never mattered so much. He perched on a White House chair upholstered in gold and produced a letter embossed with the Royal crest from his breast pocket. It contained a letter of invitation for a second state visit to the United Kingdom, personally signed by King Charles II.
The royal moniker was painted with a thick black broad nib the 47th president would recognize.
World Affairs Editor Sam Kiley reports.
Trump and Zelensky set to sign minerals deal at White House meeting today
06:59
,
Arpan Rai
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and his American counterpart Donald Trump are set to sign a critical minerals deal today.
The minerals agreement negotiated in recent days would open up Ukraine's vast mineral wealth to the United States but does not include American security guarantees, a disappointment for Ukraine.
It gives Washington the right to recoup some of the billions of dollars in costs of the US weaponry supplied to Kyiv through a reconstruction investment fund tied to the sale of Ukraine's rare earth minerals.
Mr Trump also noted he was looking forward to meeting Mr Zelensky and praised the Ukrainian military for its bravery.
"We're working very hard to get that war brought to an end. I think we've made a lot of progress, and I think it's moving along pretty rapidly," Mr Trump said.
"It'll either be fairly soon or it won't be at all," he added, without elaboration.
Starmer sees value in Trump’s mineral deal with Ukraine after meeting with US president
06:20
,
Arpan Rai
British prime minister Keir Starmer said he saw “validity” in Donald Trump’s argument for pursuing a mineral deal with Ukraine on the eve of president Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to Washington to finalise it.
Sir Keir claimed that the US president’s deal for highly valuable rare earth minerals would form “at least one element” of a security guarantee for Kyiv against Russia.
The prime minister used his Washington visit to push Mr Trump to provide security protections for Ukraine and not abandon it as America attempted to find a quick end to the war.
“I can see the value in the approach in relation to minerals,” he said in an interview to NBC on Thursday, shortly after addressing a press conference with Mr Trump.
Putin 'orders spies to block Western disruption in talks with Trump'
06:00
,
Alex Croft
Russian president Vladimir Putin has ordered his spies to block any efforts by Western leaders to disrupt his talks with US president, Donald Trump following their positive phone call.
Tass, the country's news agency, reported that Moscow’s Federal Security Service (FSB) was told to use "all means" to stop Western interests from wrecking the talks, according to The Mirror.
Mr Putin reportedly told the FSB board in Moscow that some leaders did not welcome any dialogue between Russia and the US.
Trump claims Ukraine-US minerals deal will be US ‘backstop’ - but won’t send troops
05:50
,
Alex Croft
Donald Trump has said the minerals deal he is set to sign with Ukraine will act as the US “backstop” being desperately sought after by European countries for a post-war Ukraine settlement, but has ruled out sending troops.
Speaking in the Oval Office alongside British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, Mr Trump explained that the presence of American workers and business interests in Ukraine would deter Russian forces from launching another attack.
“We'll be working there. We have a lot of people working there. And so in that sense, it's very good. It's a backstop, you could say,” he told reporters before leaving for lunch and a private meeting with the British entourage.
“I don't think anybody's going to play around if we're there with a lot of workers, and having to do with rare earths and other things which we need for our country,” Mr Trump added.
The comments come ahead of a meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, in which they are expected to finalise a critical minerals deal which will see Washington and Kyiv join forces in developing Ukraine’s rare earth capacity.
But it falls short of what Sir Keir is looking for in his visit to the White House. Sir Keir will push Mr Trump to accept the proposal for a US backstop as part of the Anglo-French peacekeeping plan in the event that a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia is signed.
Zelensky meets Trump today. What to expect?
05:29
,
Arpan Rai
Ukraine's leader will meet with president Donald Trump in Washington today at a pivotal moment for his country, one that hinges on whether he can persuade the US president to provide some form of backing from Washington for Ukraine's security against any future Russian aggression.
During his trip to Washington, president Volodymyr Zelensky's delegation is expected to sign a landmark economic agreement with the US aimed at financing the reconstruction of war-damaged Ukraine, a deal that would closely tie the two countries together for years to come.
Though the deal, which is seen as a step toward ending the three-year war, references the importance of Ukraine's security, it leaves that to a separate agreement to be discussed between the two leaders — talks that are likely to commence today.
According to the preliminary economic agreement, seen by The Associated Press, the US and Ukraine will establish a co-owned, jointly managed investment fund to which Ukraine will contribute 50 per cent of future revenues from natural resources, including minerals, hydrocarbons and other extractable materials.
A more detailed agreement on establishing the fund will be drawn up once the preliminary one is signed.
Starmer warns Ukraine deal can’t reward ‘the aggressor’
05:20
,
Arpan Rai
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said any eventual peace deal to end Russia’s three-year-old war against Ukraine must not end up providing any sort of windfall for Moscow as he met with President Donald Trump at the White House.
Speaking during a joint press conference alongside Trump in the East Room following a bilateral meeting between the two leaders, Starmer recalled the Anglo-American alliance that brought about victory in Europe to end the Second World War, and said he welcomed what he described as Trump’s “deep and personal commitment to bring peace and to stop the killing” in Ukraine.
“You've created a moment of tremendous opportunity to reach a historic peace deal, a deal that I think would be celebrated in Ukraine and around the world. That is the prize,” he said.
Trump claims Ukraine-US minerals deal will be US ‘backstop’ - but won’t send troops
05:18
,
Arpan Rai
Donald Trump has said the minerals deal he is set to sign with Ukraine will act as the US “backstop” being desperately sought after by European countries for a post-war Ukraine settlement, but has ruled out sending troops.
Speaking in the Oval Office alongside British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, Mr Trump explained that the presence of American workers and business interests in Ukraine would deter Russian forces from launching another attack.
“We'll be working there. We have a lot of people working there. And so in that sense, it's very good. It's a backstop, you could say,” he told reporters before leaving for lunch and a private meeting with the British entourage.
Keir Starmer’s wins and losses during crunch White House summit with Donald Trump
05:00
,
Kate Devlin
It was the meeting that could well define Keir Starmer’s premiership and the most important set of discussions between a British PM and a US President in decades.
Sir Keir and Donald Trump met in the White House for the first time since last month’s inauguration with an agenda that included issues from securing lasting peace in Ukraine to tariffs and a potential US-UK trade deal.
The Independent’s Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin lists the PM’s wins and losses from the historic encounter here.
Starmer urges Trump not to abandon Ukraine in press to end Russian war
04:32
,
Arpan Rai
Prime minister Keir Starmer used a visit to Washington on Thursday to press President Donald Trump not to abandon Ukraine as he looks to find a quick endgame to Russia's bloody invasion of its neighbour.
The British premier started the visit by delivering an invitation from King Charles III to come to Scotland for a "historic" state visit — noting it was an "unprecedented" honour since Mr Trump already had been given the royal treatment by Queen Elizabeth II during his first term.
"You've created a moment of tremendous opportunity to reach a historic peace deal – a deal that I think would be celebrated in Ukraine and around the world," Sir Keir told Mr Trump.
"That is the prize. But we have to get it right.”
Mr Trump said that talks to end the grinding war are "very well advanced" but also cautioned that there is only a narrow window to get a deal done.
"If it doesn't happen quickly, it may not happen at all," Mr Trump warned.
Starmer warns Ukraine deal can’t reward ‘the aggressor’ as Trump reiterates trust in Putin
04:00
,
Andrew Feinberg
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Thursday said any eventual peace deal to end Russia’s three-year-old war against Ukraine must not end up providing any sort of windfall for Moscow as he met with President Donald Trump at the White House.
Speaking during a joint press conference alongside Trump in the East Room following a bilateral meeting between the two leaders, Starmer recalled the Anglo-American alliance that brought about victory in Europe to end the Second World War, and said he welcomed what he described as Trump’s “deep and personal commitment to bring peace and to stop the killing” in Ukraine.
“You've created a moment of tremendous opportunity to reach a historic peace deal, a deal that I think would be celebrated in Ukraine and around the world. That is the prize,” he said.
But Starmer warned that the U.S. and U.K. “have to get it right” when it comes to hammering out terms of any settlement, invoking the British call to “win the peace” after the hard-win victory over Hitler.
“That's what we must do now, because it can't be peace that rewards the aggressor or that gives encouragement to regimes like Iran,” he said, adding later that both he and Trump agree that history “must be on the side of the peacemaker, not the invader.”
Putin would keep his word on a Ukraine peace deal, says Trump
03:57
,
Arpan Rai
Donald Trump has said that Vladimir Putin would “keep his word” on a peace deal agreed for Ukraine and backed up the claim by saying that the US workers extracting critical minerals in the country would act as a security guarantee against another invasion from Russia.
“We’ll be working there. We’ll have a lot of people working and so, in that sense, it’s very good. It’s a backstop, you could say. I don’t think anybody’s going to play around if we’re there with a lot of workers and having to do with rare earths and other things which we need for our country,” he said.
US treasury's Bessent says Ukraine economic deal on minerals and oil is done, no more negotiation
03:38
,
Arpan Rai
US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said an economic framework agreement with Ukraine was complete, covering critical minerals, oil and gas and infrastructure assets.
Mr Bessent told Fox Business that Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky and president Donald Trump would sign the deal today, with no more negotiations on that issue.
"It is a deal on strategic minerals, oil and gas and infrastructure assets. And it's really a win-win," Mr Bessent said.
"It shows the American people that there is upside here for them. That we have not squandered the money."
UK's Starmer says ending Russia's war in Ukraine 'can't be peace that rewards the aggressor'
03:26
,
Arpan Rai
Prime minister Keir Starmer applauded his push to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine following private talks with US president Donald Trump.
Sir Keir said "it can't be peace that rewards the aggressor”.
"History must be on the side of the peacemaker, not the invader," the prime minister told reporters, with Mr Trump by his side.
Sir Keir’s trip, coming a few days after French president Emmanuel Macron's own visit to Mr Trump, reflects the mounting concern felt by much of Europe that Mr Trump's aggressive push to find an end to the war signals his willingness to concede too much to the Russian president Vladimir Putin.
UK's Starmer says ending Russia's war in Ukraine 'can't be peace that rewards the aggressor'
03:26
,
Arpan Rai
Prime minister Keir Starmer applauded his push to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine following private talks with US president Donald Trump.
Sir Keir said "it can't be peace that rewards the aggressor”.
"History must be on the side of the peacemaker, not the invader," the prime minister told reporters, with Mr Trump by his side.
Sir Keir’s trip, coming a few days after French president Emmanuel Macron's own visit to Mr Trump, reflects the mounting concern felt by much of Europe that Mr Trump's aggressive push to find an end to the war signals his willingness to concede too much to the Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Moscow airport temporarily suspends arrivals and departures
03:05
,
Arpan Rai
Moscow's Sheremetevo Airport temporarily suspended arrivals and departures early today to ensure the safe operation of all air traffic, news agencies quoted Russia's aviation authority as saying.
"To ensure the safety of all civil aviation flights, temporary restrictions were imposed as of 2.41am (2341 GMT) on operations at Sheremetevo Airport," TASS quoted the authority's statement as saying.
"The airport is temporarily not allowing arrivals or departures,” it said.
Trump shuts down The Independent's reporter over Canada question
03:00
,
Holly Patrick
Donald Trump cut off The Independent's White House correspondent Andrew Feinberg as he pressed Sir Keir Starmer about the US president’s desire to make Canada the 51st state.
Speaking at the leaders’ joint press conference on Thursday, the UK prime minister was asked about what he thinks of the Republican’s move to annex the country.
Sir Keir responded: “I think you're trying to find a divide between us that doesn't exist. We're the closest of nations, and we had very good discussions today.”
The White House later accused Mr Feinberg of “trying to goad the leaders into division” in a statement on X stating that Mr Trump was not cutting off Mr Starmer speaking.
Starmer lays the ground for warmer relations between Trump and Zelensky ahead of Friday summit
02:57
,
Arpan Rai
Keir Starmer didn’t barn storm the White House – he barn-owled his way into the Oval Office wisely giving the big bird confidence enough to spread his wings in welcome.
Sir Keir’s title has never mattered so much. He perched on a White House chair upholstered in gold and produced a letter embossed with the Royal crest from his breast pocket. It contained a letter of invitation for a second state visit to the United Kingdom, personally signed by King Charles II.
The royal moniker was painted with a thick black broad nib the 47th president would recognize.
Sam Kiley writes:
Putin warned "Western elites" against undermining US-Russia talks
02:00
,
Holly Patrick
Vladimir Putin warned "Western elites" against undermining US-Russia talks ahead of Sir Keir Starmer's successful meeting with Donald Trump on Thursday.
The UK prime minister visited Washington to push the reluctant US president to provide a US “backstop” to prevent the Russian leader from launching a fresh assault on Ukraine after any peace deal.
Trump, who has launched efforts with Russia to find a quick peace deal to end the invasion, has falsely accused Volodymyr Zelensky of being a “dictator” before later publicly backtracking on his words.
Trump backtracks on Zelensky 'dictator' remark
01:00
,
Lucy Leeson
Donald Trump appeared to make a U-turn after previously describing Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky as a “dictator”.
The US President was quizzed about his relations with Zelensky and Vladimir Putin during an Oval Office meeting with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Thursday.
He was also asked about his comments calling the Ukrainian president a “dictator” earlier this month.
“Do you still think President Zelensky is a dictator?”, a reporter asked Trump.
The president replied: “Did I say that?
“I can’t believe I said that. Next question please.”
Comment: Russia isn’t the threat to the West that Starmer claims it is
00:00
,
Diane Abbott
The idea that Russia is ready or able to sweep through western Europe any time in the foreseeable future is not a serious proposition, writes Diane Abbott MP.
Yet Europe is now in a frenzy of warmongering and agitation for higher military spending – and we’re falling for it.
Read the longstanding Labour MP’s comment piece for The Independent here.