Rob Watson

I think he feels that he just has to. I mean, you might characterise the way he's handled it as playing a bad hand as well as he could, because if you think about it, would Keir Starmer have chosen to be holding this summit, which was long planned after Donald Trump and Vladimir Zelensky had had the most spectacular falling out. Absolutely, no, he would not.

I think he feels that he just has to. I mean, you might characterise the way he's handled it as playing a bad hand as well as he could, because if you think about it, would Keir Starmer have chosen to be holding this summit, which was long planned after Donald Trump and Vladimir Zelensky had had the most spectacular falling out. Absolutely, no, he would not.

But, I mean, he takes the view, and he's articulated this, that it just wouldn't be in Britain's or Europe's interest to put your hands up and say, oh, my goodness, Trump is a monster, what are we going to do? It's all just too important for that. And so, as James was essentially saying...

But, I mean, he takes the view, and he's articulated this, that it just wouldn't be in Britain's or Europe's interest to put your hands up and say, oh, my goodness, Trump is a monster, what are we going to do? It's all just too important for that. And so, as James was essentially saying...

Mr. Starmer and the French and other leaders in Europe are sort of biting their tongue and thinking, right, keep your eye on the main prize. What is the main prize? Getting a sustainable ceasefire in Ukraine and making sure that the United States remains engaged with its European allies and doesn't go drifting off to Vladimir Putin.

Mr. Starmer and the French and other leaders in Europe are sort of biting their tongue and thinking, right, keep your eye on the main prize. What is the main prize? Getting a sustainable ceasefire in Ukraine and making sure that the United States remains engaged with its European allies and doesn't go drifting off to Vladimir Putin.

Yes, absolutely. And I don't think any of that happened by accident. I mean, I think it's partly to show British support continues very strongly for Vladimir Zelensky and the Ukrainian people. And I think partly as well to sort of

Yes, absolutely. And I don't think any of that happened by accident. I mean, I think it's partly to show British support continues very strongly for Vladimir Zelensky and the Ukrainian people. And I think partly as well to sort of

chip away at perhaps some unease that many voters in Britain will have where they see Donald Trump and think, hang on a minute, you know, why is it that our Prime Minister and other European leaders seem to be, I don't know, looking quite so desperate or undignified in cosying up to a man who's revealed himself to be a bully?

chip away at perhaps some unease that many voters in Britain will have where they see Donald Trump and think, hang on a minute, you know, why is it that our Prime Minister and other European leaders seem to be, I don't know, looking quite so desperate or undignified in cosying up to a man who's revealed himself to be a bully?

So I think part of it is setting minds at rest in this country and trying to assess that danger, which of course exists for Keir Starmer and other leaders in continuing to deal with President Trump the way they do in the light of the extraordinary events in the Oval Office on Friday.

So I think part of it is setting minds at rest in this country and trying to assess that danger, which of course exists for Keir Starmer and other leaders in continuing to deal with President Trump the way they do in the light of the extraordinary events in the Oval Office on Friday.

I spent 11 years as a reporter for the BBC in the United States. I spent a lot of time covering some pretty powerful rows at the United Nations in New York and in politics here in the UK and across Europe. And I'm showing my age, Jackie. 40 plus years at the BBC. I have never, ever seen anything remotely like that. A row played out in public between two erstwhile allies.

I spent 11 years as a reporter for the BBC in the United States. I spent a lot of time covering some pretty powerful rows at the United Nations in New York and in politics here in the UK and across Europe. And I'm showing my age, Jackie. 40 plus years at the BBC. I have never, ever seen anything remotely like that. A row played out in public between two erstwhile allies.

A row, of course, that could change the course of history. I mean, I don't know that's an overstatement. It could change the course of history in terms of the future of Ukraine as a state. And it could change the course of history in terms of relations between United States and its traditional European allies, a relationship that has dominated security in Europe and the world since 1945.

A row, of course, that could change the course of history. I mean, I don't know that's an overstatement. It could change the course of history in terms of the future of Ukraine as a state. And it could change the course of history in terms of relations between United States and its traditional European allies, a relationship that has dominated security in Europe and the world since 1945.

I mean, it may just be that big.

I mean, it may just be that big.

Well, some of it has been coming in already. Numerous European leaders have expressed horror. You will not, I think, you will struggle to find a European politician, apart from those who are pro-Putin, who are just not utterly aghast.

Well, some of it has been coming in already. Numerous European leaders have expressed horror. You will not, I think, you will struggle to find a European politician, apart from those who are pro-Putin, who are just not utterly aghast.