Sir Keir Starmer said he “trusts” Donald Trump and insisted the US president wants a “lasting peace” in Ukraine amid concerns over Washington’s wavering support.

“Do I trust Donald Trump when he says he wants lasting peace? The answer to that question is yes,” the Prime Minister told the BBC on Sunday morning.

“I’m clear in my view that President Trump wants a lasting peace and I agree with him on that,” he said, while refusing to answer whether the US would provide security guarantees.

Sir Keir said that the UK together with France would present a plan for peace in Ukraine to the US president, acting as a “bridge” between Washington and Kyiv. He said he would not be forced to choose between supporting Europe and the US.

“No one wants to see what happened on Friday,” he said, referring to the televised shouting match between Mr Zelensky and Mr Trump that ended with the Ukrainian delegation being ejected from the White House.

He added his plan for peace in Ukraine would require a “coalition of the willing” who can build security guarantees for Ukraine.