With flattery and frank talk, Starmer urges Trump not to abandon Ukraine in press to end Russian war

WASHINGTON (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer used a visit to Washington on Thursday to press President Donald Trump not to abandon Ukraine as he looks to find a quick endgame to Russia's bloody invasion of its neighbor.

With a mix of flattery and frank talk, the center-left Starmer made the case to the Republican president to remain cautious as he goes about ending the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II. The British premier started the visit by delivering an invitation from King Charles III to come to Scotland for a “historic” state visit — noting it was an “unprecedented” honor since Trump already had been given the royal treatment by Queen Elizabeth II during his first term.

“You’ve created a moment of tremendous opportunity to reach a historic peace deal — a deal that I think would be celebrated in Ukraine and around the world,” Starmer told Trump. “That is the prize. But we have to get it right.”

Trump said that talks to end the grinding war are “very well advanced" but also cautioned that there is only a narrow window to get a deal done.

“If it doesn’t happen quickly, it may not happen at all,” Trump warned.

Starmer's visit came after French President Emmanuel Macron was in Washington earlier this week to make a similar case to Trump, and a day before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to visit the White House. The British leader leaned into the idea that Trump was the glue to maintaining the peace in Ukraine should the three-year war end.

The press by Starmer and Macron this week reflects the mounting concern felt by much of Europe that Trump’s aggressive push to find an end to the war signals his willingness to concede too much to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Some of Trump's comments during Starmer's visit may only add to Europe's anxiety. The American leader expressed confidence that Putin won’t press to restart the war if a truce can be reached.

“I think he’ll keep his word," Trump said of Putin. “I’ve spoken to him, I’ve known him for a long time now, we had to go through the Russian hoax together.”

The mention of “Russia hoax” is a reference to the FBI and Justice Department special counsel investigation that examined whether Trump's 2016 presidential campaign illegally coordinated with Russia to sway the outcome of the U.S. election.

Special counsel Robert Mueller found that although the Trump campaign welcomed Russia’s help in the form of the release of hacked emails stolen from Democrats, there was insufficient evidence to prove that the campaign had colluded with Moscow.

After the joint new conference, Starmer was asked during an interview with Fox News Channel if he was worried about Putin not living up to any eventual agreement and responded, “I’m concerned about that because, historically, that’s been the case.”

He said Putin’s history of reneging on agreements means that Britain and the rest of Europe will have to join with the United States to make sure the Russian president follows through this time.

“We all need to come together to defend the deal if there is a deal,” Stramer said.

Trump's rapprochement with Russia has nonetheless unsettled America's historic allies in Europe. They have found themselves on their heels with Trump returning to the White House with a determination to dramatically make over U.S. foreign policy to correspond with his “America First” world view.

The Trump administration held talks last week with Russia without Ukrainian or other European allies represented. And this week, the U.S. refused to sign on to resolutions at the United Nations blaming Russia for the war. The drifting White House view of Ukraine under Trump is leading to a tectonic shift in transatlantic relations.

Starmer applauded Trump's push to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but also urged that “it can’t be peace that rewards the aggressor.”

“History must be on the side of the peacemaker, not the invader,” Starmer said.

At their White House meeting, Trump and Zelenskyy are expected to sign off on a contentious agreement that would give the U.S. access to Ukraine's critical minerals, which are used in the aerospace, defense and nuclear industries. Zelenskyy had chafed at a deal without specific security guarantees from Washington.

Trump remains noncommittal about any coming American security guarantees, and insists that Russia would think twice about attacking again should the U.S. build an economic footprint in Ukraine to extract critical minerals.

“We are a backstop because we’ll be over there, we’ll be working in the country,” Trump said.

If a truce can be reached, Starmer and Macron have agreed to send troops for a potential peacekeeping mission to Ukraine to ensure that fighting between Ukraine and Russia doesn't flare up again.

But White House officials are skeptical that Britain and France can assemble enough troops from across Europe, at least at this moment, to deploy a credible peacekeeping mission to Kyiv.

Zelenskyy, while en route to Washington, met on Thursday with Ireland's prime minister, Micheál Martin, who said he told Zelenskyy that Ireland is open to helping, including sending peacekeepers to Ukraine.

Zelenskyy and European officials have no illusions about U.S. troops taking part in such a mission. But Starmer and others are trying to make the case that the plan can only work with a U.S. backstop for European forces on the ground — through U.S. aerial intelligence, surveillance and support, as well as rapid-response cover in case of breaches of a truce.

Trump is also looking at the moment as an opportunity to potentially reopen economic relations with Russia after three years of U.S.-led sanctions to punish Moscow for the invasion.

Starmer is hosting a Sunday meeting in the United Kingdom of international leaders that will focus on Ukraine, and Zelenskyy is expected to attend. The prime minister also announced plans this week for the U.K. to bolster defense spending, something that should sit well with Trump, who has been critical that European allies are spending too little on defense.

Starmer's government will increase military spending to 2.5% of gross domestic product by 2027, years earlier than expected, and aim to reach 3% by 2035. The U.S. spends about 3.3% of its GDP on defense.

“The disaster in Ukraine shows exactly why it’s so important for the United Kingdom and other NATO partners to make large investments in their defense capabilities,” Trump said. “You’re raising it quite a bit, which is a great thing to do for your country. It’s a great thing to do. It’s sad that we need that, but probably need that.”

Associated Press writers Panagiotis Pylas in London and Eric Tucker contributed to this report.

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands at a joint press conference in the East Room at the White House Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Washington. (Carl Court/Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands at a joint press conference in the East Room at the White House Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Washington. (Carl Court/Pool Photo via AP)

President Donald Trump meets with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, at the White House, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Washington. (Carl Court/Pool via AP)

President Donald Trump meets with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, center left, alongside U.S. Vice President JD Vance, right, and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, 2nd left, at the White House, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Washington. (Carl Court/Pool via AP)

President Donald Trump meets with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, at the White House, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Washington. (Carl Court/Pool via AP)

President Donald Trump meets with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, center left, alongside U.S. Vice President JD Vance, right, and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, left, at the White House, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Washington. (Carl Court/Pool via AP)

President Donald Trump meets with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, at the White House, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Washington. (Carl Court/Pool via AP)

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, hands an invitation from King Charles III to President Donald Trump at the White House, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Washington. (Carl Court/Pool via AP)

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, hands an invitation from King Charles III to President Donald Trump at the White House, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Washington. (Carl Court/Pool via AP)

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer is greeted by President Donald Trump as he arrives at the White House in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer is greeted by President Donald Trump as he arrives at the White House in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, right, is greeted by President Donald Trump as he arrives at the White House in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer is greeted by President Donald Trump as he arrives at the White House in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer is greeted by President Donald Trump as he arrives at the White House in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, right, is greeted by President Donald Trump as he arrives at the White House in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, right, is greeted by President Donald Trump as he arrives at the White House in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer is greeted by President Donald Trump as he arrives at the White House in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

President Donald Trump, left, stands before British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrives at the White House, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Donald Trump stands before British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrives at the White House, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Donald Trump stands before British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrives at the White House, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Ireland's Micheal Martin, left, during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Shannon Airport in County Clare, Ireland, Thursday Feb. 27, 2025. (Noel Sweeney/PA via AP)

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer prepares to speak during a welcome reception at the Britain's ambassador's residence on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025 in Washington. (Carl Court/Pool Photo via AP)

President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (Pool via AP)

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks during a welcome reception at the Britain's ambassador's residence on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025 in Washington. (Carl Court/Pool Photo via AP)

One-fifth of states have active measles outbreaks as confirmed cases nationwide keep ticking up, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC's confirmed measles case count is 935, more than triple the amount seen in all of 2024. The three-month outbreak in Texas accounts for the vast majority of cases, with 683 confirmed as of Friday. The outbreak has also spread to New Mexico, Oklahoma and Kansas.

Two unvaccinated elementary school-aged children died from measles-related illnesses in the epicenter in West Texas, and an adult in New Mexico who was not vaccinated died of a measles-related illness.

Other states with active outbreaks — defined as three or more cases — include Indiana, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

North America has two other ongoing outbreaks. One in Ontario, Canada, has resulted in 1,243 cases from mid-October through Tuesday. And the Mexican state of Chihuahua had 844 measles cases and one death as of Friday, according to data from the state health ministry. Health officials in Mexico and the U.S. say all three outbreaks are of the same measles strain.

Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that’s airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.

As the virus takes hold in U.S. communities with low vaccination rates, health experts fear that spread could stretch on for a year. Here's what else you need to know about measles in the U.S.

Texas state health officials said Tuesday there were 20 new cases of measles since Tuesday, bringing the total to 683 across 29 counties — most of them in West Texas. Three counties recorded their first cases: Hardeman has one, Eastland has two and Upshur has five. The state also added two hospitalizations to its count Friday, for a total of 89 throughout the outbreak.

State health officials estimated about 1% of cases — fewer than 10 — are actively infectious.

Sixty percent of Texas' cases are in Gaines County, population 22,892, where the virus started spreading in a close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community. The county has had 396 cases since late January — just over 1.5% of the county's residents.

The April 3 death in Texas was an 8-year-old child, according to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Local health officials in Texas said the child did not have underlying health conditions and died of “what the child's doctor described as measles pulmonary failure.” A unvaccinated child with no underlying conditions died of measles in Texas in late February — Kennedy said age 6.

New Mexico added one case Friday for 67 total cases. Seven people have been hospitalized since the outbreak started. Most of the state's cases are in Lea County. Three are in Eddy County, two in Doña Ana County and one in Chaves County.

Indiana confirmed two more cases April 21 in an outbreak that has sickened eight in Allen County in the northeast part of the state — five are unvaccinated minors and three are adults whose vaccination status is unknown.

The cases have no known link to other outbreaks, the Allen County Department of Health has said.

Kansas added nine cases Wednesday for a total of 46 across eight counties in the southwest part of the state. Gray County is up to 15 cases. The state also reported its first hospitalization.

Kansas' health department didn't elaborate Wednesday about a discrepancy in the number of new cases at the state and county levels beyond noting that case counts are “fluid as the outbreak progresses."

The state's first reported case is linked to the Texas outbreak based on genetic testing.

Montcalm County, near Grand Rapids in western Michigan, has an outbreak of four cases that state health officials say is tied to the Ontario outbreak. The state had nine confirmed measles cases as of Friday, but the remaining five are not part of the Montcalm County outbreak.

Montana state health officials announced five cases April 17 in unvaccinated children and adults who had traveled out of state, and later confirmed it was an outbreak. All five are isolating at home in Gallatin County in the southwest part of the state.

They were Montana’s first measles cases in 35 years. Health officials didn’t say whether the cases are linked to other outbreaks in North America.

The state has two outbreaks. Ashtabula County near Cleveland has 16 cases. And Knox County in east-central Ohio has 20 — 14 among Ohio residents and the rest among visitors.

The Ohio Department of Health on Thursday confirmed 33 measles cases and one hospitalization. That count includes only Ohio residents. Defiance County in the northwestern part of the state has logged its first case.

Allen and Holmes counties have had one case each.

Oklahoma had 13 confirmed and three probable cases as of Friday. The first two probable cases were “associated” with the West Texas and New Mexico outbreaks, the state health department said. The department is not releasing which counties have cases, but Cleveland, Custer, Oklahoma and Sequoyah counties have had public exposures in the past couple of months.

There are eight measles cases in Erie County in far northwest Pennsylvania, officials said Friday. The county declared an outbreak in mid-April. The state has said it has 13 cases overall in 2025, including international travel-related cases in Montgomery County and one in Philadelphia.

Tennessee had six measles cases as of last week. Health department spokesman Bill Christian said all cases are the middle part of the state, and that “at least three of these cases are linked to each other” but declined to specify further. The state also did not say whether the cases were linked to other outbreaks or when Tennessee's outbreak started.

The state health department announced the first measles case March 21, three more on April 1 and the last two on April 17, but none of the news releases declared an outbreak. However, Tennessee was on a list of outbreak states in a CDC report April 17.

Measles cases also have been reported in Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.

Cases and outbreaks in the U.S. are frequently traced to someone who caught the disease abroad. In 2019, the U.S. saw 1,274 cases and almost lost its status of having eliminated measles.

The best way to avoid measles is to get the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.

Getting another MMR shot is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says. People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don’t need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective measles vaccine made from “killed” virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said.

People who have documentation that they had measles are immune and those born before 1957 generally don’t need the shots because most children back then had measles and now have “presumptive immunity.”

In communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — diseases like measles have a harder time spreading through communities. This is called “herd immunity.”

But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots. The U.S. saw a rise in measles cases in 2024, including an outbreak in Chicago that sickened more than 60.

Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.

The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.

Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to dangerous complications such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.

There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.

AP Science Writer Laura Ungar contributed to this report.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Health department staff members enter the Andrews County Health Department measles clinic carrying doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in Andrews, Texas. (AP Photo/Annie Rice)

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., left, arrives at Reinlander Mennonite Church after a second measles death, Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Seminole, Texas. (AP Photo/Annie Rice)