Trump Criticizes Starmer's Putin Stance, Urges Deal

Former President Donald Trump stated that United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer's approach to Russian President Vladimir Putin was excessively harsh. Trump made these remarks while meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"I think the rhetoric from your last prime minister was too tough. I've seen that dialogue and it's too nasty," Trump said, downplaying the likelihood of a direct confrontation between the U.K. and Russia. He advised the U.K. government to "be a little bit careful" in its dealings with Russia. When asked about the current Prime Minister Andy Burnham's position on Russia, Trump expressed optimism, stating, "I haven't heard the rhetoric, but I think he's going to be good."

Trump also addressed Putin directly, urging him to "settle this war" with Ukraine. However, the former president did not confirm whether the U.S. would implement economic sanctions against Russia that have been approved by Congress.

These comments came as Trump arrived at United Nations headquarters in New York, where he met with Zelensky after addressing delegates. During his speech to the UN General Assembly, Trump announced the signing of a new law providing him with "enormous new tariff authorities," which he would use if necessary, declaring, "It's time to stop the killing."

Trump has consistently expressed confidence in brokering an end to the conflict and reiterated this on Tuesday, saying, "We're working very closely with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine and we will get that one done." This follows his signing of the Russia and Iran Sanctions Bill into law the previous week. The Act empowers the White House to impose tariffs on goods from countries purchasing Russian energy products and authorizes sanctions against entities supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Despite signing the sanctions legislation, Trump continued to advocate for negotiations between the warring parties. In his meeting with Zelensky, Trump repeated his belief that a deal would be reached, stating, "We talk about it [a deal] a lot, including with President Putin, and I think something is going to happen." He commended the Ukrainians as "very good fighters" and noted their "very capable people and very capable leadership."

Trump also reiterated his claim that Ukrainian airstrikes on Russian oil refineries were contributing to increased global fuel prices. "The diesel oil, the diesel fuel, has gone up quite a bit. We'll be talking about that. The President [Zelensky] and I are trying to figure out a solution," he said. He added, "I think it [a deal] is going to happen. We have a lot to talk about. The relationship is very strong and with Europe it is very strong."

Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Trump for his support, expressing hope that the war could end sooner rather than later, "before winter."