A senior British MP has said that Europe should start considering the possibility that Donald Trump could be working for Russia.
Graham Stuart, a former Foreign Office minister and a Conservative MP, made this comment after Trump decided to stop all military aid to Ukraine. This move comes as the US pushes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to agree to an unconditional ceasefire with Russia.
A White House spokesperson said on Monday night: “President Trump has made it clear that his focus is on peace. We need our partners to commit to that goal as well. We are pausing and reviewing our aid to make sure it’s contributing to a solution.”
Trump also criticized Zelenskyy on social media, saying the Ukrainian president “won’t be around very long” if he doesn’t agree to a ceasefire soon.
In response, Graham Stuart wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “We have to consider the possibility that President Trump is a Russian asset. If so, Trump’s acquisition is the crowning achievement of [Vladimir] Putin’s FSB career — and Europe is on its own.”
His comments reflect the concerns of Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats. Davey said in the House of Commons that the UK needs to reduce its reliance on the US, as he fears that Trump might not be a trustworthy ally when it comes to Russia.
Labour leader Keir Starmer has been trying to bring the US and Europe closer together. He recently hosted a summit with leaders from 19 countries, including EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO chief Mark Rutte. Starmer told MPs that the UK government will not “choose between” the US and Europe while working for peace in Ukraine.
Starmer explained: “We must strengthen our relationship with America for our security, technology, trade, and investment.”
He added that anyone suggesting Europe should pick sides between the US and Europe is not being serious, especially considering how vital the US is in securing peace in Ukraine.
Some groups, including the Scottish National Party and Conservative shadow minister Alicia Kearns, have called for Trump’s second state visit to the UK to be canceled after his recent meeting with Zelenskyy at the White House went badly.
But Starmer rejected these calls and said that any lasting solution for Ukraine and Europe will require closer cooperation with the US president.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch also expressed concern over Trump’s decision to pause aid to Ukraine. She said on X: “It’s clear that Britain and Europe must re-arm much faster if we want to provide Ukraine with more than just words of support. We need to work to keep America involved and Russia out.”
