Westminster was a flurry of activity yesterday as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer once again proved his unique ability to be a key player on the world stage while simultaneously navigating a series of domestic and international tightropes. He spent the day co-chairing a virtual meeting with European leaders and a certain US President ahead of the highly-anticipated Trump-Putin summit. The Prime Minister’s official statement lauded the “viable chance” of a ceasefire, a triumph of optimism in the face of what many would describe as a “geopolitical game of chicken.”
The call, which included Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, was a masterclass in modern diplomacy, where world leaders agree to disagree with one another in a spirit of “unwavering support.” The resulting joint statement declared that the path to peace “cannot be decided without Ukraine,” a statement so profoundly obvious it had analysts on the edge of their seats. The international community, it seems, is united in their belief that a peace deal should not be imposed upon a country, even if the alternative is a protracted war. It’s the kind of diplomatic nuance that one can only truly appreciate by reading between the lines of a hundred different press releases.
Meanwhile, back home, the government is facing new criticism after a report revealed that 50,000 people have crossed the Channel since Starmer became Prime Minister. The number, up 13,000 from the previous year, has been slammed as a sign of “incompetence” in handling the crisis. This news comes just as Starmer’s party is also facing a slump in its approval ratings. It’s a classic case of the Prime Minister trying to fix the world’s problems while his own house is on fire, an impressive display of multi-tasking, if nothing else.
Kierless Whispers 