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(Bloomberg) — UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer left his meeting with Donald Trump with much to be satisfied about despite falling short of his top objective — obtaining an American security “backstop” to protect Ukraine from further attacks after an end to Russia’s war.

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Starmer charmed Trump on their first meeting since the Republican retook office — appealing to his love of pomp by delivering a personal invitation from King Charles III to attend a second state dinner in the UK, which the prime minister cast as “unprecedented” and a testimony to the close ties between the two nations. 

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Trump accepted the invite on the spot and expanded on his love for Britain, citing the golf courses he owns there. During a joint press conference with Starmer from the White House, the US president expressed eagerness to quickly conduct a trade deal that would allow the UK to avoid tariffs and signaled support for a plan to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean while maintaining control of a military base there. 

Trump lavished praise on his counterpart, and noted that he had brought back a bust of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill to the Oval Office.

“You’re a very tough negotiator,” Trump told Starmer with a laugh. “I’m not sure I like that but that’s okay — very very special person.”

In total, the meeting amounted to a diplomatic coup for the beleaguered British prime minister — even if he fell short of his ultimate objective of winning US security guarantees for Ukraine. The embrace also threatened to deepen the wedge between the UK and Europe, as Trump repeatedly argued that he preferred to deal with London over Brussels even as European leaders were seeking to unify assistance for Kyiv.

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Trump did appear to back down from comments he made earlier this month labeling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as a “dictator,” which drew condemnation from US lawmakers and foreign allies. “Did I say that? I can’t believe I said that,” Trump said.

Starmer during the press conference avoided a potentially awkward moment, deflecting a reporter’s question on whether the leaders discussed Trump’s repeated claims that he would like to make Canada the 51st state and if the king — the country’s head of state — had expressed any concerns.

“You mentioned Canada. I think you’re trying to find a divide between us that doesn’t exist. We’re the closest of nations, and we had very good discussions today,” Starmer said.

Trump’s embrace of Starmer should at least partially neutralize attacks from the prime minister’s opponents, including Nigel Farage, whose populist Reform UK party has drawn level with the ruling Labour Party in opinion polls. Farage and other critics have suggested the UK leader would be unable to advance British interests with the new conservative American administration.

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Still, the warm relations will be immediately tested Friday when Zelenskiy visits Washington. 

Trump sidestepped pressure from Starmer to provide US support for a peacekeeping force in Ukraine, calling the idea premature and saying it would need to wait until there was first a ceasefire in place.

“I don’t like to talk about peacekeeping until we have a deal,” Trump said during their meeting. “Right now, we don’t have a deal. We have Russia, we have Ukraine.”

Trump instead focused on a deal on critical-mineral sharing expected to be approved on Friday, saying it would help redevelop Ukraine, reimburse US taxpayers for their support of Kyiv, and claiming that the presence of American workers implementing the agreement would be a form of security. 

He did suggest a US willingness to provide Ukraine with intelligence or other support following a peace deal, which will be welcomed by European leaders worried that Washington would completely walk away from the conflict.

The stakes for Starmer were high as the Labour prime minister sought to navigate a crisis with stark implications for Ukraine, the NATO alliance and the US-UK relationship. French President Emmanuel Macron met Trump on Monday, launching a week of furious diplomacy in a delicate, last-ditch bid to convince Trump to slow his efforts to negotiate an end to war directly with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. 

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That initiative has raised alarm in many foreign capitals, intensifying fears the US president may force major concessions on Kyiv that solidify Russia’s military gains, sidelining European allies and rupturing the transatlantic alliance.

Starmer said he and Trump “had a very productive discussion” and highlighted efforts to significantly increase the UK’s defense spending — responding to the US administration’s pressure for European allies to contribute more to collective security.

“I’ve been very clear today and previously that I think European countries including the United Kingdom need to step up,” Starmer said. “I made it clear the United Kingdom will do its full part.”

The UK premier acknowledged that while a ceasefire was Trump’s priority, European allies must be resolute in their support for Ukraine. 

Still, even as Starmer said the UK was prepared to put boots on the ground — and jets in the air — it was unclear that he had moved Trump any closer toward providing the necessary US support to carry out those plans.

“Obviously, as the president says, the deal has to come first,” Starmer said.

(Updates with Starmer, Trump remarks on Canada in paragraphs 7-9)

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