Fresh off the back of a summit with Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Washington, the President of the United States granted The Spectator’s US Editor-at-Large Ben Domenech an exclusive interview in the White House. One of the most pressing topics discussed by Starmer and Trump was support for Ukraine in its efforts to resist Russia’s invasion – and America’s threat to throw in the towel as Europe’s peacekeeper. It was time for Europe, Trump told The Spectator, to step into the breach.
Trump’s inability to resist promoting the superiority of American support for Kyiv aside, he is correct
‘They have to step up, but they also have to get equipment,’ the President said. ‘They have to spend more money.’
As Trump sees it, Europe can’t support Ukraine without first sorting out its own domestic defences. Trump has repeatedly insisted that Europe’s governments increase their defence spending to as much as 5 per cent. Following suit, but only marginally, Starmer earlier this week announced that he would be upping Britain’s by 0.2
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