‘He would come again’: UK PM Starmer says he doesn’t trust Putin, calls for ‘security guarantees’

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Sunday (March 2) that he does not "trust" Russian President Vladimir Putin, stressing that a ceasefire without a security guarantee would be dangerous and "he would come again" if given the chance. 

Hence the critical need for “security guarantees”, the UK prime minister said.

Starmer has been insisting that without a security guarantee, the Russian president could attack Ukraine again and the situation could blow up into a wider war.

On the other hand, he said that he trusts Zelensky and Trump. When asked if Zelensky had done anything wrong, Starmer said, "he didn't", adding that the Ukrainian president has bravely served his country as a wartime leader since Russia’s full-scale invasion was launched in February 2022. 

Starmer said that he felt "uncomfortable" watching the argument between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House. 

The UK PM insisted that the focus has to be a "lasting peace" in Ukraine, adding that it is crucial for the security of Europe. 

While talking to the BBC, when he was asked about the fiery conversation between Trump and Zelensky, Starmer said, "Nobody wants to see that", adding that he spoke to Trump and Zelensky on the phone after the heated exchange.

He said that the purpose has been to "bridge" tensions to get everyone back to the "central focus" of supporting Ukraine to "stop the fighting" in the long run.

While talking about lasting peace, Starmer said that the worst of all outcomes is for Russia to break the terms of an agreed ceasefire deal. 

"What I am clear about is that if there is to be a deal, if there is to be a stopping of the fighting, then that agreement has to be defended, because the worst of all outcomes is that there is a temporary pause, and then Putin comes again," he stressed. 

Calling it a "real risk", the UK PM said that this has happened in the past. "That is why we must ensure that if there’s a deal, it’s a lasting deal, not a temporary pause."

Starmer said that he thinks the US president wants to see a lasting peace in Ukraine despite his rhetoric and attitude towards Zelensky. 

"Everybody agrees with that, apart from Putin,” he told the BBC. 

By “lasting peace”, Starmer means a “US backstop”, along with “security guarantees” provided by European countries and a “strong Ukraine” armed with defensive capabilities to resist the Russian invasion.