By Alex Raufoglu

Copyright kyivpost

In a joint press conference that underscored the stark differences and surprising agreements between the US and the UK, President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer took to the podium on Thursday at the Prime Minister’s country retreat, Chequers. The headline-grabbing moments came fast and furious, with Trump making a stunning declaration about Russian President Vladimir Putin and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

United front on Putin

In his opening comments, Prime Minister Starmer said the pair had “discussed today how we can build our defenses, further support Ukraine, and decisively increase the pressure on Putin to get him to agree a peace deal that will last.”

The two leaders then turned to a new technology pact they had just signed, a “Technology Prosperity Deal” that outlined collaboration on artificial intelligence, civil nuclear, fusion, and quantum technologies.

The memorandum, shared with Kyiv Post by the White House, included a direct reference to Russia, stating that one of its goals was “achieving full independence from Russian nuclear fuel by the end of 2028.”

Following Starmer’s remarks, Trump took a more personal turn. In an unusually pointed moment, the US President stated that his relationship with Vladimir Putin “would be easiest” for ending the invasion, but then said, “he’s let me down. He’s really let me down.”

Trump continued, adding that “frankly, the Russian soldiers are being killed at a higher rate than the Ukrainian soldiers.”

He reiterated his commitment to a resolution, saying he felt an “obligation to get it settled.”

Trump then offered a stark economic view of the conflict’s endgame. “If the price of oil comes down, Putin is going to drop out, he’s going to have no choice,” he stated, making a direct link between global energy prices and the war’s continuation.

He added that while he is “willing to do other things” to help Europe, he will “not when the people that I’m fighting for are buying oil from Russia. You can’t [do that], that’s not playing fair with the US, and we can’t have that.”

Starmer, for his part, seized on the comments, using them to call for increased pressure on Putin. “It’s only when the president has put pressure on him that he’s actually shown any inclination to move,” the Prime Minister said.

Starmer also highlighted recent Russian drone incursions into Polish airspace and strikes on Kyiv as evidence that Putin is not serious about peace, adding that the UK is “prepared to take the lead” in efforts to guarantee a peace deal.

During the briefing, Trump also mistakenly referred to Armenia as “Albania” while taking credit for a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Mandelson-Epstein scandal

The news conference was a whirlwind of contentious issues, from a shocking firing to a high-profile assassination. The final question of the news conference went to Trump and centered on the recent sacking of the UK’s ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson.

Mandelson was fired last week over his continued friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a scandal that has also touched President Trump.

Trump, however, quickly sidestepped the question about Mandelson, pivoting the discussion to Prime Minister Starmer. “I don’t know him, actually,” Trump said of Mandelson. “I think maybe the prime minister would be better speaking of that.”

He then turned the question back to Starmer, who defended his decision, stating “some information came to light last week, which wasn’t available when he was appointed.”

Free speech and the firing of Jimmy Kimmel

The discussion on free speech also proved revealing. When asked about the indefinite suspension of US talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, Trump replied, “Well Jimmy Kimmel was fired because he had bad ratings more than anything else… He was fired for lack of talent.”

He also referenced the recent assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, an event that Trump and his allies have blamed on what he calls “radical left political violence.”

Starmer called Kirk’s murder “shocking” and “to be condemned,” stating he had reached out to Trump “straight away” because of their families’ friendship.

Clash over Antifa

On the subject of Antifa, a loosely organized ideological movement in US, Trump confirmed his intention to designate the group as a terrorist organization.

Starmer appeared to dodge the question when asked if the UK would do the same, stating, “Well, we obviously will take decisions for ourselves. I don’t want to comment on the decisions of the president, but we take our decisions ourselves.”

Palestine: Point of disagreement

The two leaders also revealed a rare public “disagreement” on the UK’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state.

Starmer explained the move was part of a larger “plan for peace,” while Trump said he wanted the Israeli hostages released “right now.”

He concluded: “People forget about 7 October, I can’t forget about it.”