On Sucking Up to Trump

Morality vs. Power Plays in European politics

With a net approval rating among Britons of -61 (about halfway between Starmer and Putin), it is quite clear that the decision to grant Donald Trump an unprecedented second state visit was not a reflection of the British people’s overwhelming love for the US President.

Away from the pomp and pageantry with which the government and Royal Family greeted him, protests demonstrated the true feelings of the public. Some of these, like the one that projected videos of  Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle, even resulted in arrest. Yet despite the public’s reasonable reluctance to host a man whose second term in office can only be characterised as an exercise in corruption and whose approach to foreign policy has alienated allies and emboldened dictators, one could make the argument that the UK has a duty to host Trump. With Russia violating NATO airspace multiple times in recent weeks, the threat to Europe’s former Eastern Bloc is mounting. That means we require US backing more than ever. It is not a question of condoning Trump’s actions, it is a question of necessity.

It is also a question of efficacy. Given that Trump has, in the past few months, imposed sweeping tariffs on allies, threatened to annex Canada, and cut aid to Ukraine, one might worry about the ability of any US partner to make the President honour allegiances. Still, the UK is uniquely poised for the task due to Trump’s well-known admiration for the Royal Family, who remained front-and-centre throughout the visit. Furthermore, the UK has on several occasions acted as a bridge between him and Europe, showing that Starmer’s skills in international diplomacy are stronger than his domestic policy. Even so, it is unclear that he has been able to influence the President in any meaningful way, besides achieving exemptions and reductions on some US-imposed tariffs and signing a £250 billion tech deal during the visit, the details of which remain unclear.

It is too early, therefore, to judge the effect of this state visit on Trump. His Chief of Staff, Susan Wiles, told the BBC that, although he enjoyed the trip, it would have no influence at all on his decisions. And yet, according to the BBC, he plans to invite King Charles and Queen Camilla to the US next year, suggesting that the Royal Family could be one of Britain’s strongest political assets. 

To summarise, then, the UK is leveraging the Royal Family, spending millions on state visits, and putting in huge amounts of diplomatic man-hours to perhaps, maybe, hopefully, get some indication that the US will honour its commitments. And is the threat from Russia really great enough to justify sucking up to Trump? Or are we, like CBS and ABC, simply capitulating to the whims of a hardman for potential short-term gain in a manner that may well come back to haunt us?

The answer to whether capitulation will haunt us is uncertain. The answer to whether Russia is a significant threat to Europe is “yes”. According to the 2025 Global Firepower Index, Russia has the third-strongest army in the world. They also have the backing of North Korea, as well as deepening ties with China.

Meanwhile, Europe’s capabilities have dwindled, and although we likely remain a match for Russia, we no longer possess the military might needed to fully deter aggression. Furthermore, our commitments to rearmament do not respect the imminence of the threat, with the UK aiming to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence by 2027, a mere 0.2% increase from 2024. Thus, a diminished Europe requires US security guarantees, if only for the purpose of deterrence. 

Overall, I think the UK does have some duty to suck up to Trump. Yet I think that duty applies more to the government than to the public. People should continue to protest. They should continue to champion the causes in which they believe and oppose those they deem harmful. But they should do so with the understanding that such protests have consequences, and when our safety and the safety of our allies are at stake, one ought to think twice before telling Trump to pack his bags. 

Illustration by Mia Fish