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President Trump\u2019s overture<\/a> to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to end the war in Ukraine has rattled leaders across Europe. Few have been more transformed than Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain, who was elected last summer on a standard-issue promise to revive his country\u2019s economy and public services.<\/p>\n Now, Mr. Starmer finds himself striding the world stage, at a fateful moment for the trans-Atlantic alliance. In a hectic few weeks, he has led Europe\u2019s response to the peace talks, along with President Emmanuel Macron of France. He has mediated<\/a> between Mr. Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine. And he is lobbying Mr. Trump<\/a> not to leave Europe at the mercy of an aggressive Russia.<\/p>\n Here are four takeaways from a series of recent conversations Mr. Starmer held with The New York Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n The prime minister has welcomed Mr. Trump\u2019s efforts to wind down the war and said last week\u2019s call between Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin \u201cnudged things on a bit.\u201d But without robust security arrangements, he said, any peace deal would leave Ukraine vulnerable to future incursions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cI don\u2019t trust Putin, and therefore I take everything he says with some degree of caution,\u201d Mr. Starmer said. \u201cWe know what happens if there aren\u2019t security arrangements, which is, he\u2019ll breach the deal in due course, in his own time.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Europe, he said, must play a lead role in providing that security. Mr. Starmer has devoted much of his energy in recent weeks to cobbling together a coalition of the willing<\/a>, which would play a deterrent role against Russia to preserve a peace deal.<\/p>\n Britain and France have both committed troops, though, so far, no other European country has done so publicly. Mr. Starmer played down the lack of announcements, saying it was still early in the process, with the peace negotiations uncertain and the military mission of a deterrent force inchoate.<\/p>\n \u201cHow do we take the concept into a plan?\u201d Mr. Starmer said. \u201cHow do we make sure there\u2019s a plan we can put in place if there is a deal? What we can\u2019t do is wait for a deal and say, \u2018Right,\u2019 then scratch our heads.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n When it comes to ties between Britain and the United States, Mr. Starmer has adhered to a straightforward policy: no daylight.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are different to some of our other allies,\u201d he said. \u201cOn a defense, security and intelligence basis, we are intertwined in a way no two other countries are. It is in our own interest to continue that.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Mr. Starmer has labored to cultivate a relationship with Mr. Trump and so far, he said, it has paid off.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve met him a number of times now,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve spoken to him on numerous cases on the phone. I think we have a really good relationship. I do believe that he absolutely wants peace in Ukraine. That\u2019s what he is driving at. I do believe he is committed to NATO.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Mr. Starmer has a not-so-secret weapon<\/a> as he navigates this tricky period: the royal family. He handed a letter from King Charles III last month to an obviously delighted<\/a> Mr. Trump, inviting him to make a state visit to Britain.<\/p>\n \u201cPresident Trump has spoken to me about his affection for the royal family and what it meant for him to meet the late queen,\u201d Mr. Starmer recalled. \u201cThat is important because that is something I think other countries look to.\u201d<\/p>\n Charles has had a crowded diplomatic dance card in recent weeks, meeting with Mr. Zelensky after his clash with Mr. Trump. He played host to two successive Canadian prime ministers, Justin Trudeau and Mark Carney, as both were wrestling with Mr. Trump\u2019s tariffs against Canada and rebutting his calls for it to become the 51st American state.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not for me to speak for the royal family,\u201d said the always-careful Mr. Starmer. But he noted that \u201cthe Canadian prime minister is his prime minister,\u201d referring to the fact that the king is also Canada\u2019s head of state.<\/p>\n \u201cI still remember how I felt when the Berlin Wall came down,\u201d Mr. Starmer said, in discussing European attitudes toward defense. \u201cIt was the beginning of a new era where values of democracy and freedom would prevail. I didn\u2019t think that in my lifetime, I\u2019d see Russian occupation of countries again.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cBecause the peace dividend was going on for so long\u201d in Europe, he said, the importance of paying for defense slipped behind other priorities.<\/p>\n Now, he said, \u201cthere is more immediacy and urgency\u201d for Europe to do more. \u201cFor a number of years, European countries have been saying we need to step up on defense and security, but we haven\u2019t done it,\u201d Mr. Starmer said. \u201cI feel very strongly that the moment for talking is over and the moment for action is now.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nEurope must help secure any peace settlement between Ukraine and Russia.<\/h2>\n
Preserving the \u2018special relationship\u2019 with the United States is paramount.<\/h2>\n
Starmer acknowledged the renewed importance of the royal family in Britain\u2019s diplomacy.<\/h2>\n
In a more volatile world, Britain needs to step up its own defense and security.<\/h2>\n