Updated September 18, 2025 at 8:53 AM MDT
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he and President Trump had discussed during a meeting at his Chequers country residence how to support Ukraine and increase pressure Russia to end its war.
"In recent days, Putin has shown his true face mounting the biggest attack since the invasion began, with yet more bloodshed, yet more innocents killed, and unprecedented violations of NATO airspace," Starmer said during his opening remarks to a press conference.
"These are not the actions of someone who wants peace. So we've discussed today how we can build our defenses to further support Ukraine, and decisively increase the pressure on Putin to get him to agree a peace deal that will last," Starmer said.
It's been a month since Trump hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks in Alaska — a meeting he said would lead to talks between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelenskyy. But that meeting has not transpired, and Russian strikes on Ukraine have intensified.
Starmer has led other European leaders to push Trump to do more to support Ukraine. But ahead of the trip, Trump conditioned new sanctions on Russia on NATO members cutting off energy purchases from Russia and applying massive tariffs on imports of Chinese goods.
Trump, in his opening remarks, expressed frustration with Putin, saying he had expected to have an easier time brokering an end to the war because of his good relationship with the Russian president. "He's let me down. He's really let me down," Trump said.
Asked about his next steps on Russia, said the lack of progress was "my biggest disappointment." He said the war "doesn't affect the United States" and noted Starmer was "a lot closer to the scene than we are."
Starmer said recent Russian strikes and the recent drone incursion show the need for more pressure on Putin. "It's only when the president [Trump] has put pressure on Putin that he's actually shown any inclination to move. So we have to ramp that pressure up," Starmer said.
"What you can see is either an emboldenment or at least an increased recklessness on Putin's part, and that's why I said earlier that they're not the actions of someone who wants peace, so we have to ramp up," Starmer said. He said the U.K. and French governments were stepping up military planning and suggested "an American guarantee" was also needed.
In the course of his remarks, Trump also said that the United States was trying to regain possession of the Bagram Air Base north of Kabul in Afghanistan. "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.
Starmer said he and Trump had discussed world affairs for about an hour privately, and agreed on the need to end the conflict in Gaza, get aid to people and release remaining hostages.
Starmer has said his government will recognize a Palestinian state sometime this month unless Israel commits to peace in Gaza.
"The question of recognition needs to be seen -- and so it's part of that overall package which hopefully takes us from the appalling situation we're in now to the outcome of a safe and secure Israel, which we do not have, and a viable Palestinian state," Starmer said.
Trump said he wants the immediate release of hostages and acknowledged his disagrees with Starmer's approach. "I have a disagreement with the prime minister on this score, one of our few disagreements," Trump said.
The comments come at the end of a state visit to the United Kingdom where the British government sought to leverage his love of the monarchy to work with Trump on trade and national security goals.
After an opulent banquet at Windsor Castle with the royal family on Wednesday, Trump traveled to Chequers, the prime minister's country estate, where he met with top business leaders from both countries as well as Starmer.
At Chequers on Thursday, Trump and Starmer signed an agreement to work on expanding cooperation on technology and nuclear energy. Trump said the agreement on expanding nuclear energy would help expand AI because of that industry's need for electricity.
This story will be updated.
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