Kemi Badenoch: US and UK Will Disagree.

Ahead of Sir Keir's meeting with the 'Orange One' in Washington, Tory leader, Kemi Badenoch has been spouting about the British Prime Minister's trip. Ms. Badenoch said, "The UK doesn't have to agree with the US on everything". The relationship needs to be "realistic". Speaking to Sky News's Political Editor Beth Rigby, she said the US "is not an authoritarian regime and shares the same Western values as the UK, including free trade, free enterprise, and free speech.

On Monday the US sided with Russia on UN resolutions. Where the US declined to condemn Russia's war on Ukraine, it also, backed a resolution to end the conflict but it shied away from naming Russia as the aggressor.

Kemi Badenoch said the US was acting in its interests. Ms. Badenoch said the UK needs to ape the US in looking after its interests. She said the US and UK will not agree on everything. She highlighted the above UN resolutions, where the US took Russia's side. That was an example, according to Kemi of the UK and US disagreeing. Ms. Badenoch said she wanted Sir Keir to be successful in his meeting with Trump. It will be interesting to see what transpires between Trump and Starmer. As they have their fireside chat with the press. Just as King Abdullah, President Macron, and Netanyahu did. People will be watching for the body language and chemistry (or lack of) between the two leaders.

When King Abdullah of Jordan met Trump, the King seemed to do a lot of blinking. Either the king needs a pair of specs or it was a sign of nervousness. The king looked humiliated when seated in Trump's presence. Macron on the other hand looked confident and even corrected the ramblings of Trump. When Trump said the EU had loaned money to Ukraine to fight its war. Macron touched Trump's hand and politely corrected him that they were not loans, they were grants. Netanyahu was beaming like a Cheshire cat knowing that Trump has his back. Or at least, he agrees with the Israeli leader (dictator) to a certain extent.

Badenoch said it is "absolutely critical" that Sir Keir succeeds in his talks on ending the Ukraine-Russia war. However, she did not say how Sir Keir and Trump should bring this about. Sir Keir Starmer agrees in principle with Trump that the war needs to end. As Sir Keir meets Trump he is walking a tightrope in many ways. He is trying to be a bridge between the US and Europe. Sir Keir in some ways seems to have caved in to Trump's demand that NATO members need to spend more if they want the US to protect them. Sir Keir announced yesterday in PMQs that the UK is scaling back overseas aid and spending that money instead, in upping UK defence spending. So is Sir Keir appeasing Trump or is he agreeing with Trump that NATO members must step up and pay more for their defence?

With Trump saying the US won't always be there for Europe's defence, that statement hit Europe hard. Hence, European leaders meeting in Paris to discuss this. Trump has said Europe must do more to protect Ukraine. Trump has called Zelenskyy a dictator and demanded rare earth minerals in thanks for the US military backing of Ukraine. Zelenskyy if I am not wrong, is heading to Washington to agree on this deal. Many say Trump is stealing Ukraine's resources with the country selling these resources to the US. No doubt, it will be at a knockdown price, a bargain basement price. Trump as President is acting like a business manager and the US is his company.

However, other Ukrainians think if this deal helps to end the war, even if Ukraine gets the fag end of it, that this plan might be a great business venture for Ukraine. Of course, like anything, time will tell.