‘We can still trust the Americans’, minister says despite breakdown between Trump and Zelenskyy

Published

8 months ago

March 2, 2025

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The UK can still trust the US with Ukraine’s future despite the bad-tempered clash at the White House between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a minister has said.

Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds told Sky’s Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips there was “no ambiguity” over whether the US continued to be an important ally for Britain despite the unpleasant scenes that unfolded in the Oval Office on Friday.

There are concerns among Western leaders that the exchange – which resulted in Mr Zelenskyy leaving empty-handed and without having signed an important minerals deal to continue US support – could result in the White House withdrawing aid for Ukraine’s war effort.

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But Mr Thomas-Symonds, who is also minister for the constitution and European Union relations, said he believed we could “still trust the Americans”.

And he said that in the event the US did pull financial support for Ukraine, the UK would “continue to be an honest broker” and “bring the different parties together”.

Echoing the US’s president’s language, he added: “We will also continue to make the case that peace is made from a position of strength, not a position of weakness.

“So, it remains critical to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position.”

On whether Britain could still trust the Americans, Mr Thomas-Symonds replied: “Yes, I do believe we can trust the Americans.

“We do have an ally in the United States that we can trust,” he continued. “There’s no ambiguity about that.”

Sir Keir Starmer’s desire to act as bridge between the US and Europe will be tested as he hosts a number of EU leaders for a summit in London.

Present will be the leaders of Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Finland, Denmark, Norway, the Czech Republic and Romania. Canada and Turkey will also attend.

The PM’s role as a peacemaker takes on greater significance following the breakdown in relations between Mr Trump and Mr Zelenskyy that unfolded in front of the world’s TV cameras.

In the aftermath of the fallout, Sir Keir phoned Mr Zelenskyy and invited him to Downing Street on Saturday ahead of today’s summit in a show of support for Ukraine.

He also phoned the US president, saying his “driving purpose” was to “bridge this and get us back to the central focus”.

Turning to the scenes at the Oval Office on Friday, Mr Thomas-Symonds admitted he had “never seen anything quite like that”.

“Obviously that is not how it should have happened.”

His sentiments were echoed by shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel, who said she was “absolutely aghast” at “the whole spectacle” which saw Mr Trump accuse the Ukrainian president of “disrespecting” the United States and “gambling with World War Three”.

In a sign of how badly the meeting went, the minerals deal the pair had expected to sign – which would have established a new fund for the US to invest in Ukraine’s minerals, rare earth materials and other valuable natural resources – was put on ice.

Mr Trump viewed the minerals transaction as a fair way to recover the billions of dollars that the US has given Kyiv in its war effort and as necessary to guarantee further US military support for Ukraine.

Ms Patel said the scenes at the White House were “unedifying and undignified”.

“When we look at President Zelenskyy…I think he’s a hero,” she went on.

“He’s an absolute hero in the way in which he stood up to authoritarianism. He’s fighting for the sovereignty of his country.

“He also know when the going gets tough. You keep your disagreements not in front of cameras, but you keep them private. So, you know, we are where we are.”

Politics

David Lammy blames ‘human error’ for release of migrant sex offender – as confirms independent investigation

Published

2 hours ago

October 28, 2025

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David Lammy blames 'human error' for release of migrant sex offender - as confirms independent investigation

David Lammy has confirmed there will be an independent investigation into the accidental release of a migrant jailed for sex offences, as he blamed “human error” for the incident.

The deputy prime minister and justice secretary told MPs he was “livid” on behalf of Hadush Kebatu’s victims and he would be deported back to Ethiopia “as quickly as possible”.

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Kebatu, who was found guilty in September of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Epping, was freed in error from HMP Chelmsford in Essex on Friday instead of being handed over to immigration officials for deportation.

His accidental release sparked widespread alarm and a manhunt that resulted in him being found and arrested by the Metropolitan Police in the Finsbury Park area of London at around 8.30am on Sunday.

The incident has sparked questions over how the man, whose crimes sparked protests in Epping over the use of asylum hotels, was able to be freed.

Addressing MPs in the House of Commons, Mr Lammy said the mistake should not have happened as he sought to lay part of the blame on to the Conservatives over the state of the prison system over the past 14 years.

He said “there must and there will be accountability” for the mistaken release of Kebatu from prison.

“I’ve been clear from the outset that a mistake of this nature is unacceptable,” he said.

“We must get to the bottom of what happened and take immediate action to try and prevent similar releases in error to protect the public from harm.”

Mr Lammy said he ordered an “urgent review” into the checks that take place when an offender is released from prison, and new safeguards have been added that amount to the “strongest release checks that have ever been in place”.

The justice secretary said the investigation would be led by former Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Dame Lynne Owens, who also used to lead the National Crime Agency.

He also said the investigation would have the same status as high-profile probes into other prison incidents, including the attack on three prison officers at HMP Franklin in April of this year and the escape of Daniel Khalife from HMP Wandsworth in 2023.

‘Calamity Lammy’

Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick referred to a report by Sky News which detailed how a witness present at the prison observed Kebatu appearing “confused” upon his release.

The witness said Kebatu had in fact tried to go back into the prison several times, but was instead guided to Chelmsford station, where he caught a train to London.

Mr Jenrick claimed the case was proof “the only illegal migrants this government are stopping are those that actually want to leave the UK”.

“Dear oh dear,” he said. “Where to begin? This justice secretary could not deport the only small boat migrant who wanted – no – who tried to be deported.

“Having been mistakenly released, Hadush Kebatu came back to prison asking to be deported not once, not twice, but five times, but he was turned away.”

He went on: “The only illegal migrants this government are stopping are those that actually want to leave the UK.

“His officials, briefing the press, called it the mother of all – yeah, they’re not wrong, are they?”

Mr Jenrick, who served as immigration minister under the previous Conservative government, branded his opposite number “calamity Lammy”.

“It’s a national embarrassment and today the justice secretary feigns anger at what happened.”

Continuing with his attack, Mr Jenrick asked Mr Lammy whether he would resign if Kebatu was not deported “by the end of the week” – to which he received no reply.

But asked later by an MP whether he was considering his position, Mr Lammy replied: “A ridiculous question, the answer is no.”

The new checks announced by Mr Lammy on Monday involve five pages of instructions and require more senior prison staff to sign off a release, according to documents obtained by Sky News.

The instructions are effective from Monday.