Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces a “full frontal assault” from the Trump administration during his high-stakes visit to Washington DC, according to Mary Jo Jacobi, a former aide to President Ronald Reagan.
Starmer has flown to the US capital for what observers describe as one of the most consequential meetings ever between a US president and British prime minister.
The visit will include challenging discussions on Ukraine and the controversial handover of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
Jacobi warned the meeting would be “very intense” with multiple Trump officials likely involved in the key discussions.
Mary Jo Jacobi said the PM is set for a “full frontal assault”
GB NEWS
Jacobi, former aide to President Ronald Reagan, told GB News: “I think he’s going to meet with them all.
“I would bet that Pete Hegseth will be involved in the Chagos discussion, probably Marco Rubio will be around for the discussion on Ukraine.
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“So, I think he’ll face a full frontal assault from the Trump administration. I think it will be very intense.
Speaking to journalists on his flight to Washington, Starmer insisted that Russia’s Vladimir Putin must be viewed as the aggressor in the Ukraine conflict.
The Prime Minister will emphasise that there can be no negotiations about Ukraine without Ukraine’s involvement.
He plans to push for Europe to take a greater role in global defence.
Labour is preparing to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos islands to Mauritius
GB NEWS
Despite the challenging nature of the meeting, Starmer was keen to highlight the positive aspects of UK-US relations.
The discussions come as Starmer attempts to navigate complex diplomatic waters with the Trump administration while maintaining Britain’s support for Ukraine.
Labour is preparing to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos islands to Mauritius, while securing a 99-year lease for the military base on Diego Garcia at an estimated cost of nearly £9 billion.
The agreement to cede the territory “will not go ahead” without the support of Trump due to shared military and intelligence interests.
Speaking on ITV’s Peston programme, David Lammy said: “If President Trump doesn’t like the deal, the deal will not go forward.
He explained this was because of “shared military and intelligence interest with the United States”.
“They’ve got to be happy with the deal, or there is no deal.”