In a joint press conference on Thursday, September 18, US President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer tackled pressing global issues, with a sharp focus on the escalating Russia-Ukraine conflict. Starmer slammed Russian President Vladimir Putin for revealing his “true face” through intensified assaults on Ukraine, marking the most severe attacks since the initial invasion. He highlighted the surge in casualties, innocent lives lost, and blatant breaches of NATO airspace, insisting these moves show no desire for peace.
Trump, meanwhile, opened up about his initial optimism, admitting he once believed resolving the Russia-Ukraine war would be his “easiest” task. But he confessed that Putin has “let him down,” making it far tougher than expected. Still, Trump remains optimistic, vowing to push through and secure a resolution. This comes after his pre-second-term promise to end the war in just one day, and nearly a month since hosting Putin in Alaska for talks that haven’t yielded any breakthroughs yet.
Trump also pointed out that Russian troop losses are outpacing those of Ukrainian forces and claimed the entire conflict could have been avoided under his previous leadership.
Landmark US-UK Tech Deal Inked Amid Talks
On the same day, Trump and Starmer sealed a major technology agreement to enhance cooperation in cutting-edge fields like artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and nuclear energy. Starmer hailed it as a “groundbreaking” pact and the biggest investment influx in UK’s history. He recalled how, in May, the UK clinched the first trade deal with the US during Trump’s second term, underscoring the robust partnership between the two nations.
Starmer emphasized Britain’s outsized global impact, noting that despite not matching the US in economic scale, the UK excels in areas such as quantum tech, AI, life sciences, and finance, allowing it to “punch above its weight.”
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