Trump Criticizes Putin, Praises UK in Joint Press Conference with Starmer

US president also advises PM to use military to stop irregular migration at conclusion of his second state visit

According to Rokna, citing The Guardian, 

During a joint press conference with Keir Starmer on Thursday, former US President Donald Trump accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of failing to uphold expectations, saying Putin “has let me down” and blaming him for the high number of Russian casualties in the Ukraine war. Trump expressed disappointment that his hopes of brokering a peace deal early in his term were thwarted by Putin’s actions.

The hour-long event, marking the conclusion of Trump’s two-day state visit to the UK, saw him largely avoiding tension points with Starmer, including Palestinian statehood and free speech issues, though he suggested the UK could deploy the army to manage irregular migration.

Trump lauded the royal family and Britain, saying, “We’re grateful beyond words for the spectacular honour of the state visit,” and called the UK “these beautiful, magnificent isles.”

During the wide-ranging conference, Trump also shared candid opinions on various topics: wind power was a “very expensive joke,” TV host Jimmy Kimmel lacked talent, and Joe Biden was “never the brightest bulb in the ceiling.”

Starmer appeared to score a diplomatic victory by keeping the focus on Putin and the ongoing Ukraine conflict. Trump, who had previously blamed Zelenskyy and Biden for the war, now labeled Russia as the aggressor. He noted that pressure on Putin could influence his decisions, while also highlighting the role of European and Indian Russian oil imports in the conflict.

Overall, the conference balanced Trump’s pointed criticism of Putin with his praise for the UK, leaving Downing Street relieved that sensitive questions about domestic free speech were avoided.