Trump-Starmer press conference at Chequers delivers guarded unity on Ukraine, migration and Palestine

At Chequers, the prime minister's country residence, Donald Trump and Sir Keir Starmer held a joint press conference at the close of Trump’s second state visit to Britain. The roughly hour-long session featured questions on world affairs and domestic policy, with both leaders signaling a careful alignment on key security issues while avoiding sharp confrontations on politically sensitive topics.

On the Middle East, Trump said there was a disagreement with Starmer over the United Kingdom's plan to recognize a Palestinian state in the coming days. He noted that the issue had been a point of contention but added that it was one of only a few disagreements between them. Starmer stressed that the timing of recognition, not the visit, should be viewed in the context of a broader effort to foster peace in the Middle East, and he said Hamas could not participate in any future Palestinian state.

Regarding migration, Trump urged using the military to curb illegal crossings, warning that such flows “destroys countries from within” and saying he had discussed border-security methods with Starmer during their private meeting earlier. Starmer said Britain had already begun to return irregular migrants under a deal with France, calling the first flight under the migrant returns deal an important step forward in addressing the small boats problem.

On Ukraine, the leaders condemned Russia's full‑scale invasion. Starmer criticized recent Russian missile strikes that damaged the British Council building in Kyiv and argued that Putin’s actions did not reflect a leader seeking peace. Trump said Putin had “really let me down” and acknowledged that solving the war would be difficult, but he did not express regret about holding a peace summit with Putin in Alaska, adding that he felt an obligation to help end the conflict given the scale of the human toll.

Free speech emerged as a potential flashpoint but was not pressed. Trump declined to comment on remarks by his vice president, JD Vance, about European democracies, and he avoided broad remarks on areas of disagreement with Starmer. Starmer pledged that the UK would protect free speech “jealously and fiercely,” while stressing it must be balanced against protections for children and online safety.

Behind the scenes, Mandelson’s status as Britain’s ambassador to the United States remained a sensitive topic. The former Labour minister had been sacked as ambassador earlier this month amid scrutiny of his past friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. When asked about Mandelson in the Oval Office setting, Trump called it the “elephant in the room,” then said he did not know Mandelson and urged Starmer to address the matter.

The exchange at Chequers underscored the ongoing convergence of U.K. and U.S. positions on security and international conflict, even as both leaders navigated domestic political concerns. The event provided a platform for messaging ahead of further bilateral discussions on Ukraine, border policy, and counterterrorism, with the two leaders signaling willingness to work together while preserving political space for each side.