The Stretch of the Special Relationship: Keir Starmer and Donald Trump
Ahead of Starmers visit to the USA, Nina explores the importance of this meeting, during such a heated global climate.
Image Credit: Simon Dawson/ No 10 Downing Street via Flickr
A couple of years ago in Italy, I found myself in a situation one typically experiences while at an international language school: in a conversation with a few people from Sweden, someone from Switzerland, someone from Germany, and a guy with long hair from Australia. We somehow got onto the topic of the USA. I mentioned Britain’s ‘special relationship’ with America, and everyone laughed. It transpired, of course, that every country in the metaphorical ‘West’ is told by the US that they have a ‘special relationship’.
It was Winston Churchill who coined the term ‘special relationship’ in 1946 after Britain and its allies triumphed against the Nazis. The war was won, largely due to America’s involvement, and set the precedent for the post-war international order and military and economic alliances between Europe and the USA. Ever since, Britain’s alliance with the US has been a cornerstone of its foreign policy.
Yet as Keir Starmer prepares to fly to the US on Thursday to meet with President Donald Trump, speculation is rife about how the exchange will unfold. It has been made clear in recent days that the US will not be coming to the defence of Ukraine to triumph against Russia. The opposite in fact; while America’s involvement in this war may again lead to a victory, this time it may be in favour of the fascist state.
Following Trump’s blunt comments that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a dictator, Keir Starmer reiterated support for Ukraine on behalf of The Crown and the British people. In an indirect comeback to Trump’s comments about Ukraine’s lack of “cards left to play”, Starmer stated that “Russia does not hold all the cards in this war”. The question now lies in how Trump will perceive Starmer’s resistance to his direction of discourse about the Russia-Ukraine war, and whether this will put the UK’s ‘special relationship’ with America to the test.
Starmer’s reluctance to say anything which may offend Trump or bruise his ego, is visible to all. But if there is anything known about Trump, it is that he admires strong, dominant men. Keir Starmer has often been criticised for being a lukewarm figure, his personal opinions shrouded and his politics strategic and dogmatic. But he must climb down off the fence on which he sits if he wants to command respect and authority from Trump.
Trump has made a series of flattering comments about Starmer, describing him as doing “a very good job” and iterating his fondness of him. While it is important that it is not overstated, it should be said that Trump’s real fondness is for the British royal family, and a meeting with King Charles is only promised after a meeting with the Prime Minister. A potential bargaining chip for Starmer.
In the week leading up to his visit to Washington, Starmer has made a move to strengthen his bargaining chips with Trump. The increase in defence spending to 2.5% of GDP in the next two years – funded by slashing foreign aid – reflects a possibly desperate ploy to shield the UK from Trump’s dishing out of tariffs which he has threatened the rest of Europe with.
The ‘special relationship’ many countries in Europe were under the illusion they enjoyed with America is fraying. Vice President JD Vance’s attack on European democracies at the Munich Security Conference – claiming that free speech and traditional values were under threat – as well as America’s vote at the UN Security Council siding with Russia, appear to signal that Europe is now out in the cold. The post-WWII order has now changed, and it is certain that the ‘special relationship’ Europe once felt with the US is at a critical juncture.
While Britain is in an unusual position as a European, non-EU nation, Keir Starmer may soon have no choice but to choose a side. He and French President Emmanuel Macron have recently undergone talks on how best to strategically respond to Trump’s hostility towards Europe and their historic alliances. Will he position himself alongside those like Trump, Putin, and Jinping, bullying their way forward in a style belonging to a backwards age of imperialism and land-grabbing, or will he align with the rest of Europe clinging onto the liberal values of the past 80 years?
Loyalty to Trump legitimises the destructive behaviour and desires of war criminals and dictators such as Putin and is a show of support for the debilitation of the liberal world order. Is this the position that Britons hope their leader to take? As Germany appears to be preparing to cut ties with the USA, it is possible that Starmer’s preference for the fence is no longer viable, even if this comes at the cost of the ‘special relationship’.
The laughter in that conversation in Italy a couple of years ago echoes in my mind. The once casual attitude towards relationships between Western countries, formerly thought of as binding and unquestionable, now feels obsolete. The seriousness of the present day means that so much is at stake for Starmer’s visit to Washington.
Words by Nina Sorrentino
Cover Image Credit: Simon Dawson/ No 10 Downing Street via Flickr
