Connect with us

Published

on

The UK, France and Ukraine will work on a ceasefire plan to present to the United States, the prime minister has said, in the wake of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s White House clash with Donald Trump.

Sir Keir Starmer, who visited Washington on Thursday, said he believes Mr Trump does want a “lasting peace” between Russia and Ukraine.

He also said Europe is in a “moment of real fragility” and he would not trust the word of Vladimir Putin.

Follow live – UK hoping Ukraine peace plan can get ‘back on track’ at London summit

Referring to the argument in the White House’s Oval Office on Thursday between Mr Trump, US vice president JD Vance and Ukrainian president Mr Zelenskyy, the PM said it made him feel “uncomfortable”.

“Nobody wants to see that,” he told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.

He added: “We have to find a way that we can all work together. Because, in the end, we’ve had three years of bloody conflict. Now, we need to get to that lasting peace.”

The prime minister said he was in his office when the White House shouting match began to be broadcast.

“Clearly, you know, there’s a lot of tension,” he said. “The cameras were on.”

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

When Starmer met Zelenskyy: What happened?

Later in the evening he phoned both Mr Trump and Mr Zelenskyy, saying his “driving purpose” is to “bridge this and get us back to the central focus”.

On Saturday, the PM said he had “quite a long time with President Zelenskyy” before speaking to Donald Trump and French president Emmanuel Macron on the phone.

“We’ve now agreed that the United Kingdom, along with France and possibly one or two others, will work with Ukraine on a plan to stop the fighting, and then we’ll discuss that plan with the United States,” he said.

Of Mr Trump, he said: “I am clear in my mind that he does want a lasting peace.”

Asked why that was, he said: “Because I’ve spoken to him a number of times. I’ve got to know him. I’ve had extensive discussions with him and I believe his motivation is lasting peace.”

He added: “If the central question you’re putting to me is do I trust Donald Trump when he says he wants lasting peace? The answer to that question is yes.”

The PM said he was still pushing for a US “backstop” on Ukrainian security, adding that it was the subject of “intense” discussion.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Ukrainians react to Trump row

The “components of a lasting peace”, he said, include a “strong Ukraine to fight on, if necessary, to be in a position of strength”.

And he is pursuing a “European element to security guarantees”.

“That’s why I’ve been forward-leaning on this about what we would do – and a US backstop,” he said.

“That’s the package: all three parts need to be in place, and that’s what I’m working hard to bring together.”

Asked if he would trust Vladimir Putin, Sir Keir said: “Well, no, I wouldn’t trust Putin, which is why I want a security guarantee.

“I wouldn’t trust him not to come again, because he’s proven that he will come again. He’s already done it and we know what his ambitions are.”

Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said his party would support sending British troops to Ukraine as peacekeepers in the event that a “credible” deal is struck.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said European nations need to “make sure that America does not disengage”, adding: “If we all get dragged into an escalation, America will get dragged into it eventually.”

She described Volodymyr Zelenslyy as a “hero” and said her heart “went out to” him during the on-camera argument at the White House.

“I watched it and I couldn’t believe what was happening,” she said. “He was being humiliated.”

Such “difficult conversations” should not happen in front of the cameras, she added.

Read more from Sky News:
Trump-Zelenskyy clash: Sky News correspondents’ views
Singer from New York Dolls dies aged 75
Pope’s condition is slightly improved

Sir Keir Starmer greets Giorgia Meloni in Downing Street. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Sir Keir Starmer greets Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni in Downing Street. Pic: Reuters

The UK is holding an international defence summit on Sunday, hosting the leaders of Italy, France, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Poland, Canada, Finland and Romania.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told Sir Keir Starmer it is “very, very important that we avoid the risk that the West divides” as she arrived for talks at Number 10.

EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, NATO secretary general Mark Rutte, and Turkey’s foreign minister Hakan Fidan will also attend the summit.

It is hoped the meeting will help to get things “back on track”, a government source has told Sky News.

However, they admitted there will be “more ups and downs” ahead.

“We must keep our eyes on the prize.”

The insider added that the government was “working yesterday to get [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy back to the table” and finish the minerals deal with the US.

That was thrown into question on Friday during the clash at the White House.

The source said: “We think it’s the right thing to do. Today is about getting European leaders to go beyond the Twitter rhetoric and step up on defence spending – prepare now for a world with no US security guarantee for Europe, not just in Ukraine.”

Continue Reading

UK

Last UK blast furnaces days from closure as Chinese owners cut off crucial supplies

Published

on

By

Last UK blast furnaces days from closure as Chinese owners cut off crucial supplies

​​​​​​​The last blast furnaces left operating in Britain could see their fate sealed within days, after their Chinese owners took the decision to cut off the crucial supply of ingredients keeping them running. 

Jingye, the owner of British Steel in Scunthorpe, has, according to union representatives, cancelled future orders for the iron ore, coal and other raw materials needed to keep the furnaces running.

The upshot is that they may have to close next month – even sooner than the earliest date suggested for its closure.

Read more: Thousands of jobs at risk as British Steel consults unions over closure

The fate of the blast furnaces – the last two domestic sources of virgin steel, made from iron ore rather than recycled – is likely to be determined in a matter of days, with the Department for Business and Trade now actively pondering nationalisation.

The upshot is that even as Britain contends with a trade war across the Atlantic, it is now working against the clock to secure the future of steelmaking at Scunthorpe.

British Steel proceesing

The talks between the government and Jingye broke down last week after the Chinese company, which bought British Steel out of receivership in 2020, rejected a £500m offer of public money to replace the existing furnaces with electric arc furnaces.

More on China

The sum is the same one it offered to Tata Steel, which has shut down the other remaining UK blast furnaces in Port Talbot and is planning to build electric furnaces – which have far lower carbon emissions.

These steel workers could soon be out of work
Image:
These steel workers could soon be out of work

However, the owners argue that the amount is too little to justify extra investment at Scunthorpe, and said last week they were now consulting on the date of shutting both the blast furnaces and the attached steelworks.

Since British Steel is the main provider of steel rails to Network Rail – as well as other construction steels available from only a few sites in the world – the closure would leave the UK more reliant on imports for critical infrastructure sites.

British Steel in action

However, since the site belongs to its Chinese owners, a decision to nationalise the site would involve radical steps government officials are wary of taking.

They also fear leaving taxpayers exposed to a potentially loss-making business for the long run.

British Steel

The dilemma has been heightened by the sharp turn in geopolitical sentiment following Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

The incipient trade war and threatened cut in American support to Europe have sparked fresh calls for countries to act urgently to secure their own supplies of critical materials, especially those used for defence and infrastructure.

Read more:
Car manufacturers fined £461m for collusion
There were no winners from Trump’s tariff gameshow

Gareth Stace, head of UK Steel, the industry lobby group, said: “Talks seem to have broken down between government and British Steel.

“My advice to government is: please, Jonathan Reynolds, Business Secretary, get back round that negotiating table, thrash out a deal, and if a deal can’t be found in the next few days, then I fear for the very future of the sector, but also here for Scunthorpe steelworks.”

British Steel declined to comment.

Continue Reading

UK

Prince Andrew’s Pitch@Palace branded ‘crude attempt to enrich himself’ as Chinese spy documents set to be released

Published

on

By

Prince Andrew's Pitch@Palace branded 'crude attempt to enrich himself' as Chinese spy documents set to be released

Prince Andrew’s efforts to make money from his Pitch@Palace project have been branded as a “crude attempt to enrich himself” at the expense of “unsuspecting tech founders”, as new documents may shed more light on what he and his team have been attempting to sell.

Today is the deadline for documents to be released relating to Prince Andrew‘s former senior adviser Dominic Hampshire and his interactions with the alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo.

In February, an immigration tribunal heard how the intelligence services had contacted Mr Hampshire about Mr Yang back in 2022. Mr Yang helped set up Pitch@Palace China, a branch of the duke’s scheme to help young entrepreneurs.

The alleged Chinese spy, Yang Tengbo, has links with Prince Andrew
Image:
The alleged Chinese spy, Yang Tengbo, has links with Prince Andrew

Pic: Pitch@Palace
Image:
Yang Tengbo. Pic: Pitch@Palace

Judges banned Mr Yang from the UK, saying his association with a senior royal had made Prince Andrew “vulnerable” and posed a threat to national security. Mr Yang challenged that decision at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC).

Since that hearing, media organisations have applied for certain documents relating to the case and Mr Hampshire’s support for Mr Yang to be made public. SIAC agreed to release some information of public interest. It is hoped they may include more details on deals that he was trying to do on behalf of Prince Andrew.

So what do we know about potential deals for Pitch@Palace so far?

In February, Sky News confirmed that palace officials had a meeting last summer with tech funding company StartupBootcamp to discuss a potential tie-up between them and Prince Andrew relating to his Pitch@Palace project.

More on Prince Andrew

The palace wasn’t involved in the fine details of a deal but wanted guarantees to make sure it wouldn’t impact the Royal Family in the future. Sky News understands from one source that the price being discussed for Pitch was around £750,000 – there are, however, reports that a deal may have stalled.

Photos we found on the Chinese Chamber of Commerce website show an event held in Asia between StartupBootcamp and Innovate Global, believed to be an offshoot of Pitch.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Who is alleged Chinese spy, Yang Tengbo?

Documents, released in relation to the investigations into Mr Tengbo, have also shown how much the duke has always seen Pitch as a way of potentially making money. One document from 21 August 2021 clearly states “the duke needed money at the time, and saw the relationships with China through Pitch as one possible source of funding”.

But Prince Andrew’s apparent intention to use Pitch to make money has led to concerns about whether he is unfairly using the contacts and information he gained when he was a working royal.

Norman Baker, former MP and author of books on royal finances, believes it is “a crude attempt to enrich himself” and goes against what the tech entrepreneurs thought they were signing up for.

Read more:
Who is Yang Tenbo?
Virginia Giuffre says she has days to live
Emails between Andrew and Epstein revealed

He told Sky News: “The data given by these business people was given on the basis it was an official operation and not something for Prince Andrew, and so in my view, Prince Andrew had no right legally or morally to take the data which has been collected, a huge amount of data, and sell it…

“And quite clearly if you’re going to sell it off to StartupBootcamp, that is not what people had in mind. The entrepreneurs who joined Pitch@Palace did not do so to enrich Prince Andrew,” he said.

Rich Wilson was one tech entrepreneur who was approached at the start of Pitch@Palace to sign up, but he stepped away when he spotted a clause in the contract saying they’d be entitled to 2% equity in any funding he secured.

He feels Prince Andrew is continuing to use those he made a show of supporting.

He said: “It makes me feel sick. I think it’s terrible – that he is continuing to exploit unsuspecting tech founders in this way. A lot of them, I’m quite grey and old in the tooth now, I saw it coming, but clearly most didn’t. And a lot of them were quite young.

“It’ll be their first venture and you’re learning on the trot, so to speak. So to take advantage of people in such a major way – that’s an awful, sickening thing to do.”

We approached StartupBootcamp who said they had no comment to make, and the Duke of York’s office did not respond.

With reports that a deal may have stalled, it could be a big setback for the duke – especially with questions still about how he’ll continue to pay for his home on the Windsor estate now that the King no longer gives him financial support.

Continue Reading

UK

UK in talks with Brazil over ‘potential sale’ of two Royal Navy amphibious assault ships

Published

on

By

UK in talks with Brazil over 'potential sale' of two Royal Navy amphibious assault ships

The UK is in talks with Brazil over the “potential sale” of the Royal Navy’s two amphibious assault ships that are being ditched to cut costs, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed.

Defence experts said the fact HMS Bulwark – which has only just received an expensive refit – and HMS Albion are being flogged off underlines the pressure on the defence budget even though Sir Keir Starmer keeps talking up his promises to boost expenditure.

The two warships can be used to deploy Royal Marines to shore – a vital capability at a time of growing global threats.

News of the possible sale was first revealed in Latin American media.

One report said the Royal Navy and Brazilian Navy had signed an agreement that would see the UK giving information to the Brazilians on the state of the two ships prior to any purchase.

Asked about the claim that the UK would sell the assault ships to Brazil, a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “We can confirm we have entered discussions with the Brazilian Navy over the potential sale of HMS Bulwark and HMS Albion.

“As announced in November, both ships are being decommissioned from the Royal Navy. Neither were planned to go back to sea before their out of service dates in the 2030s.”

More on Brazil

James Cartlidge, the shadow defence secretary, appeared to question the wisdom of the move.

“At Defence orals [House of Commons questions] on January 6th Defence Secretary John Healey said: ‘HMS Bulwark and HMS Albion were not genuine capabilities’,” Mr Cartlidge wrote in a post on social media.

“They’ve just been sold to Brazil.”

Matthew Savill, the director of military science at the Royal United Services Institute, said the plan to sell the vessels demonstrates there “is still life in both these ships”.

He said: “The fact that the UK is prepared to sell off useful amphibious capability – which could be used in evacuation operations or other cases where air transport is difficult – shows just how tight finances are even with the promised budget increase.

“The replacements for these ships are still several years away and won’t be available until the 2030s.”

Read more from Sky News:
Prince Harry’s charity row explained
US seems content to cosy up to Russia instead of imposing tariffs

Mr Savill added: “As an aside, Brazil will probably have greater amphibious capacity than the UK, having previously bought HMS Ocean, the UK’s helicopter assault ship.”

HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark entered service two decades ago.

Both are currently held at lower readiness having not been to sea since 2023 and 2017 respectively.

HMS Ocean, a helicopter-landing vessel and once the largest warship in the Royal Navy, was sold to the Brazilian Navy in 2018 after 20 years in service.

Continue Reading

Trending