Starmer: I will not give in to Trump's pressure, we will not allow ourselves to be drawn into war

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer repeated on Wednesday that he would not give in to pressure from American President Donald Trump and would not allow the country to be drawn into a war in the Middle East. Earlier, Trump once again criticized the state of relations between the US and Great Britain.

– My position on Iran was clear from the very beginning: we will not allow ourselves to be drawn into this war. This is not our war. There was enormous pressure on me to take a different course, and that pressure included last night's events. I'm not going to change my mind, I'm not going to give in to this pressure. It is not in our national interest to enter this war and we will not do it, Starmer said in the House of Commons on Wednesday, when asked about the short interview Trump gave to Sky News the night before.

Trump, asked in an interview how he would describe the special relationship between the United States and Britain, replied: “It's a relationship where when we asked them for help, they weren't there. When we needed them, they weren't there. When we didn't need them, they weren't there. And they still aren't there.”

When pressed further about this relationship, Trump admitted that it was better in the past and that it is sad that it is no longer so. He suggested that the US may change the trade agreement with Great Britain concluded in May last year. “And we gave them a good trade deal. Better than I had to. Which is always subject to change,” Trump said.

In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly criticized Starmer for not agreeing to Britain's direct involvement in the conflict against Iran.

The war in the Middle East began on February 28 with Israeli and US airstrikes on Iran. Tehran responded with attacks on both Israel and Arab states in the Persian Gulf region, including US military bases and civilian facilities there, such as airports and petrochemical installations. Iran has also blocked free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, thereby halting oil exports from the Middle East. (PAP)

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