KEY POINTS
- Trump wants Bagram air base in Afghanistan ‘back’
- Some good news soon regarding Russia-Ukraine
- Starmer terms Gaza situation ‘intolerable’
- Trump says US ‘sending a lot of weapons to NATO’
- Trump, Starmer sign agreement to strengthen tech partnership
CHEQUERS, England: US President Donald Trump on Thursday said that ending the war in Ukraine has been more difficult than he initially anticipated, expressing disappointment in Russian President Vladimir Putin for not meeting his expectations.
“He’s let me down. He has really let me down,” Trump said in a news conference alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the conclusion of his state visit to the UK.
Trump said that the US has “solved seven wars…wars that were unsolvable, wars that couldn’t be negotiated or done”.
“The one that I thought would be easiest would be because of my relationship with (Russia’s) President Putin, but he’s let me down, he’s really let me down, it was going to be Russia and Ukraine, but we’ll see how that turns out”, he said.
“I thought it might be among the easiest of the group we had settled just about every conflict, and as you know, we’re working very hard on Israel and Gaza, that’s happening over there, complex, but … it’s going to get done…likewise, Russia and Ukraine will get done”, he said.
But it’s, you never know in war, you know war is a different thing…things happen that are very opposite of what you thought,” Trump said.
Trump wants Bagram air base ‘back’
Trump, in response to a question, said the US wants to get back the Bagram airbase in Afghanistan.
“We’re trying to get it back, by the way,” he said. “We’re trying to get it back because they need things from us. We want that base back.”
“But one of the reasons we want the base is, as you know, it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons,” Trump said.
‘Some good news’ soon regarding Russia-Ukraine
In a response to a question, Trump said Putin is killing many people, and he’s losing more people than he’s killing, and frankly, Russian soldiers are being killed at a higher rate than the Ukrainian soldiers”, he said
“You know, it doesn’t affect the United States… unless you end up in a world war over this thing, you could, this was a thing that would have never happened, had I been President”.
“It didn’t happen for four years. Most people agree that it didn’t happen, nor was it supposed to happen, and I spoke to President Putin about Ukraine, it was the apple of his eye….but he would have never done what he did, except that he didn’t respect the leadership of the United States,” he said.
“The Russia situation, I hope we’re going to have some good news for you coming up”, he said.
UK recognising Palestinian state
When asked about the UK’s plan to join dozens of other countries in recognising a Palestinian state, US President Donald Trump gave a rambling response. He took credit for the release of Israeli hostages from Gaza and reiterated his support for Israel’s ongoing military campaign.
“We have to remember October 7, one of the worst, most violent days in the history of the world, not just there in the history of the world,” he said.
Trump, however, finally responded to the UK’s planned recognition: “I have a disagreement with the prime minister on that score, one of the few disagreements actually.”
Gaza situation ‘intolerable’: Starmer
UK Prime Minister Starmer, about the UK government’s intention to recognise Palestine as a state, said, “We absolutely agree on the need for peace and a roadmap because the situation in Gaza is intolerable.
“The hostages are being held for a very, very long time, and they must be freed. We need aid to get into Gaza at speed,” he said.
“Within the context of a plan for peace … the question of recognition needs to be seen,” he said.
He added it’s part of that overall package which hopefully takes us from the appalling situation we are in now to the outcome of a safe and secure Israel, which we do not have, and a viable Palestinian state.
Trump says US ‘sending a lot of weapons to NATO’
“I want to thank NATO and our wonderful head of NATO has really worked very hard to mark for the job they’ve done,” Trump said.
He hailed the alliance for raising the defence spending benchmark for members from 2 percent to 5 percent.
“We appreciate that, and we’re sending a lot of weapons to NATO,” Trump said.
“NATO is paying for those weapons in full, but we’re sending them, and we’re doing a great job of getting them what they need,” he said.
Starmer refers to ‘human catastrophe’ in the Middle East
Starmer has told reporters that the UK and the US are “united in defence and security … but we’re also united in the pursuit of peace”.
“We are working together to end the humanitarian catastrophe in the Middle East. Get the aid in, free the hostages, and ultimately bring Israel and the region back towards a comprehensive plan which can deliver peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike,” he said.
Trump, Starmer sign agreement to strengthen tech partnership
Earlier, Donald Trump and Starmer signed a technology partnership to strengthen cooperation in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and nuclear energy.
“It is the biggest investment package of its kind in British history,” Starmer said at his country residence, Chequers, calling the agreement “groundbreaking”.
Trump’s visit has delivered pledges from mostly US tech giants and financial groups to invest a combined 150 billion pounds ($205bn) in the UK over several years.
