Former US President Donald Trump expressed disappointment with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, saying he had “really let me down” as he held wide-ranging discussions with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday. The meeting marked the final day of Trump’s historic state visit to Britain.
Following a day of royal pageantry hosted by King Charles III at Windsor Castle, Trump travelled to Starmer’s Chequers country residence, where the pair discussed pressing global issues including the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
Starmer, who has sought to position himself as a bridge between Trump and European allies, once again called for greater international pressure on Russia. Trump appeared to be shifting his tone, telling reporters he had expected the Ukraine conflict to be “the easiest” to resolve “because of my relationship with President Putin, but he’s let me down. He’s really let me down.”
He also urged European nations to cut their purchases of Russian oil, stressing that “if the price of oil comes down, Putin’s going to drop out of that war.”
The talks between the leaders also touched on trade, migration, and Middle East policy. While Trump praised the UK-US trade deal signed in May—calling it the “best” deal and the first of his administration—he admitted they had “one of our few disagreements” over the UK’s plan to recognise a Palestinian state.
On domestic UK issues, Trump said he had advised Starmer on tackling illegal migration, adding, “I told the Prime Minister I would stop it,” even if it required military intervention.
Earlier in the day, both leaders attended the signing of a landmark tech deal aimed at boosting cooperation in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and nuclear energy. The agreement, backed by US tech giants including Microsoft, Google, and Blackstone, promises £150 billion ($205 billion) in investment into the UK.
Before heading to Chequers, Trump bid farewell to King Charles, praising him as “a great gentleman and a great king.”
