Ukraine conflict | Armament at the expense of development aid

Will Keir Starmer do a Hugh Grant imitation when he meets Donald Trump on Thursday? This question has been on the minds of British editorials in recent days. It is about a famous scene from the 2003 film "Love Actually" in which the British Prime Minister - played by Grant - stands up to an unsympathetic, shameless US President in a press conference.

"A friend who behaves in a rude manner is no longer our friend," says the Grant Prime Minister, accompanied by stirring, triumphant string music. "And since rude people can only be impressed with strength, I have resolved to show a lot more strength from now on."

But real life is not a movie romance, so the question of whether Starmer will take inspiration from it has an obvious answer: No. Instead, the prime minister will try not to step on Trump's toes too much , while also trying to persuade him to include Ukraine in the peace talks and not to play directly into Putin's hands with his diplomatic maneuvers.

Starmer's mission in Washington is "the mother of all balancing acts," writes the magazine "New Statesman." In the days before his trip to the USA, the Prime Minister has already given insights into his balancing act strategy. In a speech on Monday, he credited Trump with "creating an opportunity" to end the war. But it is crucial that Ukraine is "at the center of any negotiations" on a ceasefire and a peace treaty - in which he clearly contradicts Trump. In order to prevent Putin from invading Ukraine again, a US security guarantee is essential.

On Tuesday, an announcement was made that should please Trump. Britain will increase its defense spending from the current 2.3 to 2.5 percent of economic output by 2027, Starmer said in the House of Commons. This additional spending is unavoidable for Britain's security.

But the announcement is also a major concession to the USA: One of Trump's key demands of the Europeans is that they should invest more money in defence . In order to accommodate the President's request, Starmer is prepared to face considerable criticism at home. This is because the additional expenditure on defence comes at the direct expense of international development aid: this is being reduced from 0.5 percent to 0.3 percent of gross domestic product.

Unsurprisingly, development aid organizations are outraged. David Miliband, former Labour foreign secretary and now chairman of the aid organization International Rescue Committee, said: "This decision will have far-reaching and devastating global consequences for people who need more help."

But there is also discontent within the party's own ranks. Labour MP Sarah Champion, who chairs the parliamentary committee for international development, said that development and defence are closely linked - "cutting one to fund the other will destabilise the world". Anonymous Labour MPs were more direct: One spoke to the news portal Politico of "Trump bullshit", another considers the move a "stupid" attempt to appease the US president.

If Starmer were to be too obviously trying to flatter Trump on Thursday, it would go down badly with the home crowd. Most Britons can't stand Trump: A survey by the Yougov institute in mid-February found that 73 percent of the population had a negative image of the US president. Another survey last week found that 48 percent of Britons believe that supporting Ukraine is the highest priority - only 20 percent thought that good relations with the USA were more important.