President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer laid out plans to pursue peace and long-term security in Ukraine Thursday, as they held a joint press conference from the White House.
President Trump said the White House was making progress toward a ceasefire that could lay groundwork for a long-term peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.
But the president also said Ukraine's war shows EU nations that they should invest more in their own defense.
"After years of chronic underfunding, there's an urgent need for some countries to catch up" with their own defense spending, he said.
President Trump also mentioned a planned agreement to grant U.S. access to Ukrainian minerals and raw materials, which is widely expected to be signed this week when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits the White House.
The deal will "Stimulate the long-term prosperity that will help the Ukrainians rebuild their country," President Trump said.
RELATED STORY | Trump's 'America First' agenda faces European scrutiny as UK's prime minister visits
Prime Minister Kier Starmer hailed "a very good and very productive visit" with President Trump.
"In a moment of real danger around the world, this relationship matters more than ever," he said.
Starmer called the possibility of a peace deal for Ukraine a "moment of tremendous opportunity," but cautioned that any deal would need Ukraine's input and could not reward Russia.
"That is the prize, but we have to get it right," Starmer said.
The UK is prepared to secure a peace deal with "boots on the ground and planes in the air" Starmer said. He outlined plans under which the UK will increase both its aid sent to Ukraine and its defense spending as part of NATO.
But Starmer has made clear that such a peacekeeping mission would also need support from the U.S.
“There has to be U.S. backing, because otherwise I don't think it will deter Putin,” Starmer said earlier in the week.
