President Donald Trump accepted an unprecedented invitation Thursday, February 27, 2025, for a second state visit to the United Kingdom delivered personally by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during their first face-to-face meeting at the White House.
“This is really special. This has never happened before. This is unprecedented, and I think that just symbolizes the strength of the relationship between us,” Starmer said during the Oval Office meeting, calling Trump’s previous state visit a “tremendous success.”
Trump quickly accepted the invitation from King Charles III, saying, “On behalf of our wonderful first lady Melania and myself, the answer is yes, and we look forward to being there and honoring the King and honoring, really, your country. Your country is a fantastic country, and it’ll be our honor to be there.”
No date has yet been announced for the visit, which royal experts noted is a significant diplomatic gesture as second-term presidents typically aren’t offered such honors by the British monarchy.
Trump’s first state visit to the UK took place in June 2019 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, making him already part of a select group — only the third U.S. president to receive a state visit during her 70-year reign. This second invitation makes Trump the first elected U.S. president in modern times to be hosted twice for state visits by British monarchs.
In his invitation letter, King Charles reportedly suggested he and Trump could meet beforehand at properties including Dumfries House or Balmoral in Scotland, locations near Trump’s golf courses, to discuss the plans for the formal visit. The king expressed interest in working together to enhance the “special relationship” between the UK and US.
During the Oval Office meeting, Trump noted he and Starmer had met previously and have “a great relationship,” despite their political differences. Trump described the UK prime minister as a “very tough negotiator” while Starmer focused on their mutual appreciation for their respective countries.
The UK prime minister is the second European leader, after French President Emmanuel Macron, to talk face-to-face with Trump this week about concerns regarding a potential deal with Russia to end the Ukraine conflict. European allies are seeking assurances about Ukraine’s security in any peace settlement.
Starmer, on his way to Washington, told reporters he wants the US to help provide a “backstop” to ensure the war will have a lasting peace and is looking for security commitments from Trump. On Tuesday, the leader of the Labour Party revealed plans to raise UK military spending to 2.5%, a move analysts interpret as a gesture of Britain’s support for European defense ahead of his meeting with Trump.
“The UK is ready to put boots on the ground and planes in the air to support a deal” ending the war in Ukraine, Starmer said, but warned that any agreement “can’t be peace that rewards the aggressor.” Both France and the UK have indicated they would potentially be open to sending peacekeepers to Ukraine as part of a settlement.
Trump said Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin told him he would have “no problem” with European soldiers in Ukraine but indicated he wants to discuss specific arrangements after a deal is signed. Trump has yet to provide concrete details about America’s role in Ukraine after a peace settlement but has suggested that American commercial presence could help stabilize the situation.
The meeting with Starmer comes a day before Trump is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House to sign a mineral deal that would create a US-Ukraine fund to extract Ukrainian critical minerals. Trump has framed the economic agreement as a way for Ukraine to “pay back” some of the $120 billion in aid sent by the U.S. during the three-year conflict.
Trump has suggested that the presence of American workers extracting rare earth metals in Ukraine would provide “automatic security” for the country. “It’s a sort of automatic security when you have a lot of Americans working,” Trump said, while seemingly ruling out Ukraine’s prospects for NATO membership.
Zelensky has emphasized that security guarantees are essential for Ukraine, saying, “Without security guarantees, we won’t have a ceasefire, nothing will work, nothing.” The Ukrainian president has described the deal to be signed Friday as a “framework agreement” and is seeking additional assurances during his Washington visit.
During Thursday’s meeting with Starmer, Trump appeared to soften his previous rhetoric about Zelensky, whom he had referred to as a “dictator” last week amid calls for new elections in Ukraine. When reporters asked about the comment, Trump joked, “Did I say that? I can’t believe I said that, next question.”
Trump later praised the Ukrainian leader, saying he has “a lot of respect for him” and that he’s “very brave,” marking a notable shift in tone ahead of Friday’s White House meeting. The mineral deal is seen as an opportunity to reset the relationship between the two leaders.
The royal invitation and improved diplomatic relations with the UK come despite Trump’s historically complicated relationship with Britain. During his first term, Trump faced significant protests in London and publicly criticized then-London mayor Sadiq Khan following a terror attack. However, Trump has maintained warm relations with the British Royal Family, including a meeting with Prince William in Paris in 2024 during the ceremonial reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral.
