Starmer-Trump LIVE: Latest updates as PM and President meet in White House for crunch talks on trade and Ukraine-Russia war

By Emily Goodin, elder White House correspondent

President Donald Trump appeared to contradict helium called Ukrainian President Zelensky a dictator.

When asked astir that comment, helium told reporters successful the Oval Office: 'Did I accidental that?'

Trump called Zelensky a 'dictator' past play erstwhile speaking astatine a Saudi-backed concern gathering successful Florida. Zelensky was democratically elected.

He besides called him that connected societal media: 'A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy amended determination accelerated oregon helium is not going to person a Country left.'

Trump did concede connected Thursday that his narration with the Ukrainian president is simply a small testy.

Zelensky is scheduled to sojourn the White House connected Friday.

By Emily Goodin, elder White House correspondent

President Donald Trump told British Prime Minister Keir Starmer that a bid woody betwixt Russia and Ukraine has precocious and that the United States has had bully talks with some countries.

The president said helium is assured that Russian President Vladimir Putin ‘will support his word’ connected immoderate deal.

Asked if helium could spot Putin, Trump said helium takes a spot but verify approach.

He said helium would effort to get arsenic overmuch onshore backmost for Ukraine arsenic helium could.

Starmer, who has said he’s consenting to nonstop British troops to Ukraine, volition beryllium pressing Trump to hold to ‘backstop’ a peacekeeping unit with U.S. supplies. He said helium volition talk to the president astir making definite immoderate bid woody is not violated by Russia.

From Rob Crilly, Chief U.S. Political Correspondent

Donald Trump said helium was acceptable to speech to the British premier curate astir the aboriginal of the Chagos Islands, tract of cardinal American naval basal Diego Garcia.

As the Daily Mail archetypal reported, US nationalist information officials are acrophobic that handing the islands backmost to Mauritius could let China oregon different powers to spy connected the base.

London says the handover volition not spell up if Trump objects. The US president, greeting Keir Starmer Thursday, said:

By Nikki Schwab, Chief Campaign Correspondent

President Donald Trump chopped disconnected national workers' recognition cards for the adjacent 30 days arsenic portion of his astir caller DOGE-related enforcement order.

The order, signed Wednesday down closed doors, freezes recognition paper transactions for each feds unless they're moving connected 'disaster relief' oregon connected 'critical services' arsenic deemed by their bureau head.

The U.S. authorities presently has astir 4.6 cardinal progressive recognition cards.

Around 90 cardinal unsocial transactions were swiped successful 2024, amounting to astir $40 billion, according to DOGE, which cited information from the General Services Administration.

In a February 18 station to X, the DOGE relationship highlighted the recognition paper spending and said that the Elon Musk-run radical would 'simplify the programme and trim admin costs.'

'[W]e volition study backmost successful 1 week,' the station besides said.

By Emily Goodin, elder White House correspondent

Prime Minister Keir Starmer amazed President Donald Trump with a idiosyncratic missive from King Charles, which invited the president connected a authorities sojourn to the UK.

Trump held the missive up and asked: 'Am I expected to work it close now?'

He opened it and showed disconnected the King's signature, calling him: 'a large great gentleman.'

Trump responded to the invite, calling it 'really nice.' He said the King is 'a beauteous antheral and a fantastic man.'

It's a high-stakes sojourn for Starmer who wants Trump to backmost down connected tariffs planned for the UK and get him to hold to 'backstop' European forces if a peacekeeping unit is deployed to Ukraine.

The PM brought the invitation arsenic a sweetener to amended Trump’s mood.

Trump is simply a monolithic instrumentality of the royal family.

Thursday's invitation volition marque Trump the archetypal elected governmental person successful modern times to beryllium hosted for 2 authorities visits by a British monarch.

The precocious Queen Elizabeth welcomed Trump for a three-day authorities sojourn successful June 2019 during his archetypal word successful office.

By Nikki Schwab, Chief Campaign Correspondent

First woman Melania Trump volition clasp her archetypal largescale lawsuit successful the 2nd Trump word - the Easter Egg Roll - connected April 21, the White House announced Thursday.

Tickets, similar usual, volition beryllium fixed distant via a lottery strategy and the White House besides offered unpaid positions.

The Easter Egg Roll dates backmost to 1878.

In the past, 30,000 eggs person been utilized for the event, which includes a fig of gait games involving eggs connected the South Lawn.

It's unclear however the existent vertebrate flu volition interaction this year's event.

In past years, the American Egg Board has coordinated the donations.

By Emily Goodin, elder White House correspondent

President Donald Trump said he'll beryllium traveling to the United Kingdom successful 'the adjacent future.'

He did not bespeak a date.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to invitation Trump to a authorities sojourn to the UK, featuring King Charles, Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Trump is simply a immense instrumentality of the royal family.

This is the archetypal clip Trump and Starmer astatine gathering astatine the White House. The 2 leaders person met erstwhile earlier successful person; sharing a 2-hour repast unneurotic astatine Trump Tower successful New York successful September earlier Trump was elected to a 2nd term.

By Emily Goodin, elder White House correspondent

Kansas City Chiefs' kicker Harrison Butker met with President Donald Trump successful the Oval Office connected Thursday aft his team's devastating nonaccomplishment successful the Superbowl.

'The GOAT of kicking @buttkicker7 meets the GOAT of Presidents @realDonaldTrump,' wrote Trump adjutant Margo Martin, who posted a photograph of the gathering connected societal media.

Butker, who endorsed Trump successful the 2024 statesmanlike election, besides stopped by the White House property country to person his representation taken astatine the podium.

Trump supported the Kansas City Chiefs successful the Superbowl and became the archetypal sitting president to be the title shot game.

But past helium had to ticker his squad spell down to crushing decision to the Philadelphia Eagles.

By Emily Goodin, elder White House correspondent

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived astatine the White House for his gathering with President Donald Trump.

The president greeted him with a lukewarm grin and gave his signature thumbs' up. The 2 men shooks hands earlier they went inside.

Trump told reporters he's assured they tin get a bid woody connected Ukraine.

Starmer arrived to afloat pomp and circumstance: a subject colour defender lined the White House driveway and the Union Jack flew brightly.

Even the upwind was British - cloudy with drops of rain.

It’s a high-stakes sojourn for the British premier minister, whose halt is sandwiched betwixt French President Emmanuel Macron’s lukewarm sitdown with Trump connected Monday and Ukrainian President Zelensky’s upcoming sojourn connected Friday.

Starmer volition beryllium lobbying Trump connected 2 large issues: the warfare successful Ukraine and the menace of tariffs connected Britain erstwhile they conscionable successful the Oval Office.

The British PM said helium would perpetrate British troops to a peacekeeping unit successful Ukraine to safeguard a lasting ceasefire, but lone if the US provides a information ‘backstop’ to sufficiently deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from invading again.

Starmer volition besides bring up the American program to deed imports of British alloy with a 25% tariff, which is acceptable to commencement connected March 12.

And he’ll bring on a small sweetener to amended Trump’s mood: an invitation for a authorities sojourn to the UK, featuring King Charles, Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Trump is simply a monolithic instrumentality of the royal family.

Sir Keir Starmer has arrived astatine the White House for his gathering with Donald Trump.

He greeted the US president extracurricular the doorway to the West Wing, earlier they stepped wrong for talks.

The brace some paused for a moment, shook hands, and turned to grin for the watching cameras.

The assemblage connection appeared lukewarm betwixt the 2 leaders with Trump giving Sir Keir a affable pat connected the shoulder.

Sir Keir Starmer is owed to get astatine the entranceway to the West Wing of the White House immoderate infinitesimal now.

Keep pursuing our unrecorded blog for updates.

Ahead of the showdown betwixt Donald Trump and Keir Starmer successful Washington DC contiguous – acclaimed Daily Mail columnists Sarah Vine and Peter Hitchens research what seems to beryllium a planetary displacement to the right. That’s connected our brand-new podcast – Alas Vine & Hitchens.

By Emily Goodin, elder White House correspondent

The White House had an embarassing typo successful its email astir the property league scheduled for 2 p.m. with President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

In it, the White House said Starmer was the premier curate of 'Ireland,' leaving disconnected the 'Northern Ireland.'

The email was sent to journalists successful the White House property corps to corroborate their attendance astatine the event:

'If you are receiving this email, you person been APPROVED for today’s Press Conference with President Donald J. Trump and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Keir Starmer astatine 2:00 PM EST successful the East Room,' it read.

The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland were divided into 2 abstracted countries successful 1921. Northern Ireland is portion of the UK Commonwealth portion the Republic of Ireland has its ain premier minister.

But determination is simply a beardown question successful the Republic of Ireland to unite the 2 parts of Ireland again.

Sir Keir Starmer is owed to get astatine the White House successful astir an hr for his highly anticipated gathering with Donald Trump.

The 2 leaders volition person plentifulness to sermon and galore volition beryllium examining the assemblage connection betwixt the men erstwhile they travel look to look astatine a important constituent for the transatlantic relationship.

Issues including the aboriginal of Ukraine, commercialized tariffs and the projected woody connected the Chagos Islands – including the associated US-UK Diego Garcia basal – are each imaginable carnivore traps for the Prime Minister successful his talks with the US President.

Here's what to look retired for:

Mr Trump’s determination to unfastened talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin alarmed European leaders who are acrophobic Ukraine volition beryllium sidelined successful the negotiations and could beryllium forced to concede excessively overmuch successful the US president’s unreserved to onslaught a deal.

Sir Keir has said helium is prepared to perpetrate British troops to a peacekeeping unit to safeguard a lasting ceasefire, but lone if the US provides a information “backstop”, capable to “deter Putin from coming again”.

That could impact the US providing surveillance and quality and – arsenic a past edifice – American jets providing aerial screen for European troops connected the ground.

Any bid woody is inactive immoderate mode off, and European nations are reluctant to pledge troops to a peacekeeping unit without US guarantees.

The US has already announced plans to deed imports of British alloy with a 25% tariff, thing owed to travel into unit connected March 12.

Mr Trump has besides hinted astatine tariffs successful retaliation for charging VAT connected US goods.

The UK’s ambassador to Washington, Lord Mandelson, told a reception connected Wednesday nighttime that “one happening we don’t request to combat implicit is trade, due to the fact that we person this fantastically just and balanced commercialized narration erstwhile we reciprocate truthful overmuch – that’s conscionable a small happening for you to retrieve successful the coming weeks”.

The UK wants to manus the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius, pursuing rulings against British sovereignty astatine the International Court of Justice.

But the largest of the islands is Diego Garcia, location of a strategically important US-UK subject base.

The projected woody would spot the UK lease backmost the basal astatine taxpayers’ disbursal for a play of astatine slightest 99 years, but the concern has caused alarm among immoderate successful the Trump camp, including caput of authorities Marco Rubio.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the woody would not spell up if Mr Trump rejects it.

Former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko has praised the draught US-Ukraine minerals deal, calling it "necessary” for the extortion of Ukraine.

Poroshenko says helium hopes the existent Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, volition support Kyiv erstwhile helium meets Donald Trump astatine the White House connected Friday, adding:

Donald Trump reportedly wanted to cancel the gathering with Volodymr Zelensky, but French president Emmanuel Macron talked him round.

Mr Zelensky reportedly received a telephone from 'someone successful the Trump medication telling him not to fuss getting connected a level due to the fact that Trump would not spot him,' according to the network, BFMTV.

Mr Zelensky past spoke with Mr Macron, who called the Trump medication and assured Mr Trump that Mr Zelensky would not sermon demands similar Nato membership.

Mr Trump past accepted.

Sir Keir Starmer indispensable archer Donald Trump that if helium continues 'parroting Putin’s propaganda' the UK 'will not enactment silent' successful calling him out, Sir Ed Davey has said.

The person of the Liberal Democrats claimed the US president was 'prioritising America’s enemies implicit its friends'.

Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer volition sermon commercialized during their talks successful Washington connected Thursday, a elder Trump medication authoritative told reporters.

The gathering betwixt the 2 leaders volition seemingly see commercialized discussions connected sectors specified arsenic AI and energy.

'We would privation immoderate economical narration with the UK to beryllium based connected reciprocal and adjacent trade,' the authoritative told reporters up of the 2 leaders' gathering astatine the White House.

'We would surely look astatine ways to deepen our concern connected economical issues.'

President Donald Trump is said to beryllium 'very pleased' by Sir Keir Starmer's determination to summation the UK's defence budget, according to a elder medication official.

Starmer said the UK volition beryllium pumping 2.5 per cent of GDP into defence by 2027, describing it arsenic the 'biggest sustained summation since the extremity of the Cold War'.

The fig volition emergence to 3 per cent 'in the adjacent Parliament', helium added.

According to Sky News, the announcement was met warmly successful the White House.

One US offical said Trump is 'very pleased' with accrued defence spending and is besides blessed with Starmer's program to perpetrate British peacekeepers to Ukraine.

Andrew Tate and his member Tristan person near Romania for the US

Downing Street has refused to beryllium drawn connected whether Sir Keir Starmer would rise the lawsuit of whether Andrew Tate should beryllium extradited to the UK, aft helium near Romania for the US.

A No 10 spokesperson said: 'This remains a unrecorded case, you wouldn’t expect america to remark connected ongoing ineligible proceedings.

'This was a determination taken by the Romanian courts independently pursuing owed process and their probe remains successful place.

'But much widely, the Prime Minister has been wide that quality trafficking should beryllium viewed arsenic a planetary information threat, akin to terrorism.'

The spokesperson would not uncover whether Sir Keir Starmer would rise the lawsuit erstwhile helium meets US President Donald Trump connected Thursday.

Asked if the Prime Minister wanted to spot Tate extradited to Britain, the spokesperson added: 'It is simply a longstanding argumentation that we ne'er remark connected that benignant of thing.'

Sir Keir Starmer is expected to beryllium urged to artifact China’s program to physique a caller super-sized embassy successful London erstwhile helium meets President Trump.

Beijing is controversially readying to conception a large caller embassy connected the 600,000 sq ft tract of the erstwhile Royal Mint, other the Tower of London.

In a missive to Britain's US ambassador Lord Mandelson, Chris Smith, the Republican president of the congressional-executive committee connected China, and John Moolenaar, the Republican caput of the House of Representatives’ China committee, attacked the plans.

Finland's overseas curate has praised Sir Keir Starmer up of his gathering with Trump, saying the UK and Europe are aligned.

Minister Elina Valtonen said she thinks it is 'excellent' that Starmer is visiting Trump to convey messages the UK and Europe are aligned on.

Speaking to the BBC World Service she said that Finland has defended itself from the aggression of neighbouring Russia before, and knows the 'long-term menace is determination to stay, independently of what happens with Ukraine'.

Vladimir Putin has told the FSB information work that his archetypal meetings with the Trump medication gave grounds for hope.

Putin said Russia and the United States were acceptable to found practice but immoderate Western elites would question to undermine the dialog betwixt them.

The European Union's enforcement subdivision has insisted that the 27-nation bloc is not retired to undermine the United States, arsenic President Donald Trump enactment it.

The bloc added it would vigorously combat a wholesale tariff of 25 percent connected each EU products headed for the US, arsenic Mr Trump has threatened.

The EU pushback came aft Mr Trump told reporters that 'the European Union was formed successful bid to screw the United States', adding: 'That's the intent of it, and they've done a bully occupation of it.'

He said it would halt instantly nether his presidency, adding that the tariffs would beryllium connected 'cars and each different things'.

The infinitesimal the tariffs would beryllium announced, the EU has said it would trigger pugnacious countermeasures, connected celebrated US industries specified arsenic bourbon, jeans and motorcycles.

European Commission commercialized spokesperson Olof Gill said successful a statement:

Mr Trump said successful comments precocious Wednesday that the United States stood ready.

A Ukrainian diplomat has told MSPs his state 'deserves to beryllium heard' successful negotiations astir its future, arsenic helium called for Western unity to exert a 'final propulsion connected the enemy'.

Andrii Madzianovsky, the consul of Ukraine successful Scotland, said the 'country which is really astatine war' indispensable beryllium astatine the negotiating table.

It comes aft the Trump medication opened negotiations with Russia connected ending the conflict, without including a Ukrainian delegation.

Mr Madzianovsky told MSPs contiguous that 'Ukraine and the civilised satellite are going done hard times' owed to the 'war transgression Putin'.

The latest YouGov surey has shown that a important proportionality of the federation bash not belive Starmer volition beryllium a bully negociator against Trump.

A canvass conducted yesterday up of today’s gathering of the 2 men astatine the White House asked radical however bully oregon atrocious they thought the Prime Minister volition beryllium astatine negotiating with the US president.

Some 28 percent said 'very bad' and 29 percent said 'fairly bad', a full of 57 percent.

Just 4 percent said they judge Sir Keir volition beryllium 'very good' astatine negotiating and 19 percent said 'fairly good', a full of 23 percent.

Some 21 percent said they were unsure. The survey was based connected responses from much than 4,000 adults

Former PM Boris Johnson has backmost the US-Ukraine mineral woody successful a station connected X.

Trump voiced his enactment for the uncommon minerals deal, noting that Ukraine needed to repay the United States for the billions it received successful subject aid.

'Without the United States and its wealth and its subject equipment, this warfare would person been implicit successful a precise abbreviated play of time,' Trump said.

News of a woody comes aft the US dropped arguable demands for a close to up to $500bn successful imaginable gross from Ukraine's uncommon world minerals.

Defence Secretary John Healey suffered a bruising brushwood with Labour MPs past nighttime arsenic helium attempted to support the Government's overseas assistance cuts, it has emerged.

In a backstage gathering successful Parliament, Mr Healey faced an aggravated backlash implicit Sir Keir Starmer's plans to boost defence spending by raiding the overseas aid budget.

In bid to money the summation successful defence spending, UK spending connected improvement assistance assistance volition beryllium chopped from 0.5 per cent of gross nationalist income to 0.3 per cent successful the adjacent 2 years.

According to The Times, a radical of a twelve Labour MPs - mostly with backgrounds successful improvement - led a backlash against the plans successful the gathering with Mr Healy.

But the Defence Secretary sought to reassure those MPs and peers successful attendance that the Government would not halt spending programmes 'abruptly'.

Meanwhile, Deputy PM Angela Rayner insisted the Cabinet was 'united' connected the program to money accrued defence spending by cutting overseas assistance - contempt claims of splits.

Keir Starmer volition contiguous pass Donald Trump helium risks plunging Europe into warfare unless helium agrees a semipermanent ‘security backstop’ for Ukraine.

Speaking to reporters portion travelling to Washington past night, Sir Keir confirmed helium is acceptable to nonstop thousands of British troops to support the bid successful Ukraine if President Trump secures a truce successful the three-year-old war.

But helium warned it would beryllium an intolerable ngo unless the United States provides a subject ‘backstop’ to British and European forces.

The PM said Putin would inevitably ‘come again’ unless the West is agreed successful securing Ukraine’s aboriginal - perchance plunging the continent into war.

Here is an outline of the PM's docket up of his gathering with President Trump:

A erstwhile unit subordinate of the US embassy successful the UK has suggested that President Donald Trump volition inquire for a higher defence spending committedness from UK.

Speaking connected BBC Radi 5 Live, Michael Martins said:

He added that it is improbable that Trump volition deploy US troops to Ukraine, but alternatively propulsion for 'economic deterrence' by trying to get American businesses into Ukraine.

Sr Keir Starmer is expected to big overseas person astatine Lancaster House successful cardinal London this Sunday.

It is expected that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron volition beryllium there, arsenic volition arsenic Germany, Italy and different European allies.

The co-leader of the Green Party has called for Sir Keir Starmer to reason Donald Trump’s Gaza existent property program erstwhile helium meets the president successful Washington.

Carla Denyer said the gathering is simply a 'vital accidental for our premier curate to acceptable wide reddish lines', and supported Sir Keir’s attack connected Ukraine.

She added:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said a model economical woody with the United States is acceptable - but information guarantees that Kyiv views arsenic captious stay to beryllium decided.

Key details person not yet been made public, but reports suggest the US petition for $500bn (£395bn) successful revenues from utilizing Ukraine's earthy resources had been dropped.

A elder Ukrainian authoritative said precocious Tuesday that Kyiv had agreed connected the presumption of the deal, which would spot the United States jointly make Ukraine's mineral resources, and that Zelensky could motion it connected Friday successful Washington.

Zelensky admitted that a large contented could scupper the agreement, saying that Ukraine needed to cognize wherever the United States stands connected its continued subject support.

Ms Reeves talked up the value of Sir Keir's travel arsenic she expressed assurance the UK tin boost commercialized with the US implicit the adjacent 4 years.

The Chancellor said the announced summation successful defence spending was 'in our nationalist interest' erstwhile asked if the UK expects Mr Trump to retreat his menace of 20 per cent tariffs successful return.

Ms Reeves besides suggested a bid woody successful Ukraine would beryllium bully for economical growth.

The Chagos Islands woody volition not spell up without the backing of US President Donald Trump, David Lammy has confirmed.

The overseas caput said helium inactive believed the statement to cede the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius was the "best deal" which could beryllium struck.

Lammy's proposition that Trump volition person a veto implicit the woody came aft Sir Keir Starmer faced questions astir whether currency to wage Mauritius for leasing backmost a subject basal would travel retired of the summation successful defence spending helium announced.

Asked by ITV if the US person had a veto connected the agreement, Lammy replied:

Keir Starmer jokingly likened Peter Mandelson to Donald Trump past nighttime arsenic helium welcomed the caller British ambassador to Washington.

Speaking astatine a glitzy enactment astatine the palatial ambassador's residence successful the US capital, the Prime Minister concisely looked acceptable to criticise President Trump - earlier turning the gag connected the caller ambassador.

Addressing an assemblage drawn from the Washington elite, the PM said:

Ahead of his trip, successful an announcement firmly directed astatine Mr Trump, Sir Keir said UK defence spending volition emergence from its existent 2.3 per cent of GDP to 2.5 per cent successful 2027.

He scrambled to pledge the summation successful Britain's subject budget amid immense doubts implicit America's committedness to European information aft Mr Trump's instrumentality to power.

It besides follows the US President's repeated calls for NATO allies to boost spending connected their equipped forces and to enarthrosis greater work for their ain security.

Sir Keir said the £6billion-a-year uplift would 'ensure the information and defence of our state and of Europe' successful the look of the menace from Russia's Vladimir Putin.

Welcome to MailOnline's unrecorded blog arsenic Sir Keir Starmer jets disconnected to Washington DC, for his archetypal White House gathering with Donald Trump aboriginal today.

The Prime Minister is heading crossed the Atlantic for crunch talks successful the White House, arsenic helium attempts to person the US President not to wantonness Europe and Ukraine.

He has already attended a invited reception astatine the ambassador's residence successful the superior - joined by British ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson.