This Thursday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer will travel to Washington, D.C. for his first face-to-face meeting with President Donald Trump since he returned to the White House. With European capitals watching anxiously, Starmer’s visit comes at a crucial moment as the US pushes ahead with controversial peace talks with Russia, from which he has excluded both Europe and Ukraine, and prepares to implement new tariffs that could impact British exports.
The meeting will be framed as a reaffirmation of the so-called ‘special relationship’ between the UK and the US. But let’s not kid ourselves; it's going to be a test of how Starmer balances Britain’s relationship with Washington and Brussels - without putting Europe on the back burner and making sure Britain’s interests don’t get trampled under the feet of an American president who doesn’t seem to remember who his allies are. With French President Emmanuel Macron meeting Trump just days before Starmer, the two European leaders have already signalled their commitment to showing “united leadership in support of Ukraine.” So what does success look like for Starmer on the two big issues at play?
Trump’s isolationism and Europe’s security
Undoubtedly the biggest concern ahead of this visit is Trump’s appalling handling of the war in Ukraine. The man is actively courting disaster by negotiating directly with Russia without the involvement of Kyiv or European allies. At this point, it looks increasingly likely that Trump is preparing to strike a deal that hands victory to Moscow after an illegal invasion of a sovereign nation that has cost tens, if not hundreds of thousands of lives.
Trump has a long history of questioning NATO’s relevance and demanding that European nations pay more and let's face it: Starmer is not going to go full Hugh Grant in Love Actually. It’s clear that any slight change to Trump’s mindset can only come from appealing to his self-interest. Starmer must therefore seize this opportunity to remind Trump that America's interests have been well served over the last century from the rules-based international system and from the transatlantic alliance.
By signalling Britain’s readiness to deploy peacekeeping forces to Ukraine post-war, Starmer has already sent the clear message that he is prepared to stand behind Ukraine. In doing so, he has shown leadership to a continent that is struggling to grapple with this new geopolitical reality. Starmer and Macron’s recent call over the weekend reaffirmed that “there could be no negotiations about Ukraine.” Macron will press this point when he meets Trump first, giving Starmer the opportunity to hammer the message home.
Trade tensions and economic priorities
On the trade front, Trump’s obsession with tariffs is more than a headache - it's an economic minefield. The man’s fixation on imposing levies, including on British and European goods, threatens to exacerbate economic uncertainty. Starmer has expressed interest in securing a UK-US trade deal, but recent history suggests that Britain is unlikely to get any preferential treatment from Trump’s administration. Instead, Starmer should focus on deepening ties with Europe, our largest trading partner.
Best for Britain’s recent report couldn’t have made it clearer: the UK stands to gain far more from aligning its regulatory standards with the EU than pandering to Trump. In fact, deeper alignment with the EU could provide a growth boost of 1.7% to 2.2% to the UK economy, with the greatest benefits felt outside London in places like the West Midlands, East Midlands, and Yorkshire. It’s not just Britain that stands to gain—our EU neighbours benefit too, with exports from both sides rising significantly.
Rather than chasing a trade deal that may never materialise, Starmer has an opportunity to advocate for a pragmatic approach that safeguards British businesses from tariffs whilst reinforcing economic cooperation with the EU. The reality is, by aligning regulatory standards with Europe would provide a more meaningful boost to the economy than any hypothetical US trade deal. Success for Starmer will be ensuring the White House doesn’t read any move back towards the EU as a cold shoulder.
A united front with Europe
A key challenge for Starmer will be to resist being drawn into the zero-sum mindset that Trump often applies to international relations more generally. Britain must not allow itself to be used as a wedge to divide Europe on key issues like defence spending or trade policy. History suggests that Trump responds better to strength than subservience and so more is likely to be gained by standing firmly alongside European allies in advocating for a coordinated response to global challenges.
By reinforcing ties with Brussels, London can enhance its diplomatic leverage rather than diminish it. The Trump administration has already sought to exploit divisions within Europe and Starmer must ensure Britain is not complicit in that effort.
A chance to define Britain’s foreign policy
This visit will be a defining moment for Starmer’s foreign policy approach. Will he position Britain as a bridge between the US and Europe, or will he allow himself to be dragged into Trump’s self-serving, unpredictable orbit? The UK’s best bet for security, economic stability, and diplomatic influence lies in closer alignment with Europe. That is the message Starmer will need to be diplomatic in communicating in Washington.
As the world braces for four more years of Trump’s reckless diplomacy, Britain must avoid the mistakes of the past. Instead of being a passive player in transatlantic politics, the UK should use its role as a European nation to push for a more stable, cooperative, and principled global order. Starmer’s challenge is not just to maintain the ‘special relationship’—it is to ensure that relationship serves Britain’s best interests, and those interests are unequivocally tied to Europe.