David Lammy insisted Donald Trump is a “winner not a loser” as he sought to encourage the US president-elect to continue support for Ukraine.
The Foreign Secretary added that he believes Mr Trump will want to “ensure that the West is on the winning side”, while Western allies brace for a possible change of US stance.
Mr Trump has said he could end the war “in a day”.
Donald Trump is a winner not a loser, and I'm sure he wants to ensure that the West is on the winning side
The UK has continued to stress its commitment to supporting Ukraine as it fights Russian forces, with Mr Lammy saying the Government’s mantra is “one American president at a time”.
Outgoing president Joe Biden has given Ukraine permission to use US-supplied weapons to strike targets in Russia after months of pressure from Kyiv.
Speaking in the Commons, shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel asked: “Can the Foreign Secretary outline the approach that will be taken to engaging with the new US administration more widely with our allies to back Ukraine?
“It’s vital that this House stands united and as we mark 1,000 days of this war, we must ensure we continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder on the side of freedom.”
In his reply, Mr Lammy said: “She will have read about my dinner with the Prime Minister and Donald Trump.
“We did discuss Ukraine and he was seized of the important issues.
“Donald Trump is a winner not a loser, and I’m sure he wants to ensure that the West is on the winning side.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Mr Lammy met Mr Trump during a visit to New York in September.
In 2017, Mr Lammy called Mr Trump a “racist KKK and Nazi sympathiser” and promised to protest on the streets if he visited the UK.
Earlier this month, Mr Lammy described past critical comments as “old news” and spent time building ties in the US ahead of Labour’s general election victory.
Liberal Democrat defence spokeswoman Helen Maguire said: “January 20th will be the second inauguration of President Trump.
“So does the Foreign Secretary agree with me that with the US wavering, it is incumbent on the UK to lead within Europe now?”
The US Government, the US Government’s leader, Trump, needs to see success and victory for Ukraine as a personal victory for him
Mr Lammy replied: “This morning I was speaking to foreign ministers in a meeting from France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain – there is no sense of us wavering in our support for Ukraine.
“If anything there was a commitment to double down on that support, there was a determination to ensure that Ukraine is in the strongest possible position in 2025 and a renewed effort to ensure that we coordinate even better in the coming months.”
Conservative MP Alicia Kearns, who formerly chaired the Foreign Affairs Committee, said: “Consistently, Ukraine has been underestimated and Russia overestimated – militarily, economically and beyond.
“We all know here that personalities matter and, as the Foreign Secretary said, we know that Trump likes winners.
“The US Government, the US Government’s leader, Trump, needs to see success and victory for Ukraine as a personal victory for him.
“So, what is the Foreign Secretary doing to make sure that Trump sees it in those terms, and no other?”
Mr Lammy replied: “She’s right to say we’ve actually got a job to do now.
“One American president at a time is the mantra.
“We have got another eight weeks and Ukraine is going into a winter, and it may well be a bitter winter.
“The good news is that we are getting money out the door.
“Where there has been gaps between pledging and getting the kit and equipment into Ukraine, there is a doubling down across Europe and the international G7 partners to make sure that the kit gets there and puts Ukraine in a strong position into 2025.
“I am confident that on January 20 Ukraine will be in an even stronger position then that it is today because of that combined allied effort.”
