U.S. President Donald Trump said he was disappointed in Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying the Ukraine issue was more complicated than he thought.
According to Reuters and others on the 18th (local time), President Trump said at a joint news conference after a summit with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers, the British prime minister's country residence, "(Russian President Vladimir) Putin made the Ukraine issue, which I thought could be resolved easily, difficult. He really disappointed me."
He added that while the war in Ukraine does not affect the United States, he hopes for good news and feels he has an obligation to resolve the war in Ukraine.
Starmer said at the summit that he discussed ways with President Trump to strengthen Ukraine's defense. He said President Putin shows a willingness to "move" only under Trump's pressure, and that additional pressure is needed.
Trump also urged European countries to halt imports of Russian crude. Trump said, "If oil prices go down, Putin has no choice and will have to back down from the war."
He also said the Israel-Palestinian issue is "complicated." In response, Starmer said, "The situation in Gaza is unacceptable," adding, "We absolutely agree on the need for peace and a roadmap."
However, they differed on recognizing a Palestinian state. Trump said of the United Kingdom's policy to recognize Palestine as a state, "On this point, the prime minister and I disagree," adding, "In fact, it is one of the few disagreements between us."
Starmer plans to recognize Palestine as a state if conditions to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza are not met before the United Nations General Assembly in New York this month.
They also signed a "technology prosperity agreement" that day to boost technological cooperation between the two countries. In the tech sector, Microsoft decided to invest $30 billion (about 41.7 trillion won), the largest sum outside its home country, and Google pledged to invest 5 billion pounds (9.4 trillion won) over the next two years in AI research and infrastructure.
Starmer said, "This cooperation today will ensure tangible benefits such as jobs and growth, and will return hard-earned money to the people." Trump said, "Prime Minister Starmer is the person who concluded the first tariff agreement with the United States," adding, "We will be together forever and always remain friends."