Rob Watson

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.

And I think what is going on in the foreign ministries and chancellories and government offices across Europe, literally, as we speak, Jackie, is to say, what on earth do we do about this? Because it seems to me that it utterly undermines, it almost ridicules those efforts by Sakhir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron earlier in the week to say, yeah, we think President Trump is listening to us.

And I think what is going on in the foreign ministries and chancellories and government offices across Europe, literally, as we speak, Jackie, is to say, what on earth do we do about this? Because it seems to me that it utterly undermines, it almost ridicules those efforts by Sakhir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron earlier in the week to say, yeah, we think President Trump is listening to us.

He's going to stand by Ukraine after this. It looks as though it's right back to square one.

He's going to stand by Ukraine after this. It looks as though it's right back to square one.

Mr President, do you still think that Mr Zelensky is a dictator?

Mr President, do you still think that Mr Zelensky is a dictator?

I think it's pretty clear that Sir Keir Starmer and other European leaders, whatever reservations they might have, have accepted that Donald Trump is determined to make some kind of a peace agreement on Ukraine involving Vladimir Putin. And that their efforts, if you like, the effort of Keir Starmer is to try and make sure that any peace deal is a reasonable one, that it's not one that...

I think it's pretty clear that Sir Keir Starmer and other European leaders, whatever reservations they might have, have accepted that Donald Trump is determined to make some kind of a peace agreement on Ukraine involving Vladimir Putin. And that their efforts, if you like, the effort of Keir Starmer is to try and make sure that any peace deal is a reasonable one, that it's not one that...

that you would, if you like, give everything away to Vladimir Putin. And for his part, what President Trump was saying is, look, I do think there's going to be a deal. And if there's going to be one, it'll come soon. If not, it might not happen at all. But I mean, there's clearly some kind of distance still. It's obvious that.