Sir Keir queuing with other world leaders (Image: Getty Images)
Donald Trump’s WW3 confession prompted a visibly alarmed response from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during this week’s ‘Peace Summit’.
The summit represented a “historic day”, Sir Keir subsequently claimed, as major nations including Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey backed Trump’s Gaza peace proposal.
But there was an awkward moment during the President’s speech where Starmer looked very concerned, which came after a lip reader decoded Trump’s five-word threat to Macron during an aggressive handshake.
“We’re going to make sure the Middle East is going to be a safe and secure place,” said Trump, who rejected the claim WW3 would start in the region.
He continued: “It’s not going to happen. There was a time you thought it could…but there won’t be World War 3. Hopefully not at all, but it won’t start in the Middle East. We’re not going to have a World War 3 if we’re smart.”, reports the Express US.
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Starmer appeared quite startled as he was captured pulling a face on camera whilst positioned behind Trump.
Starmer suffered an embarrassing moment as he queued with other world leaders awaiting his turn to welcome Trump, perhaps underlining Britain’s declining clout on the global stage.
The British Prime Minister was photographed positioned behind Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani whilst Mr Trump seized the spotlight following the signing of a groundbreaking ceasefire deal with Hamas. The discomfort of Sir Keir was evident in the photographs taken by press photographers, as he shifted awkwardly in his suit, a stark contrast to the red-carpet reception given to the US president.
Hamas released all 20 remaining Israeli hostages, paving the way for the first phase of the agreement: a significant increase in humanitarian aid to the devastated territory, a limited Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza’s main urban areas, and the release of hundreds of Palestinian detainees.
Moment President Trump’s speech interrupted as he speaks in Israel
Trump, fresh from a triumphant reception at Israel‘s Knesset where lawmakers chanted his name and donned “Trump, The Peace President” hats, moved through the crowd like a victorious leader.
Standing alongside Egypt’s el-Sissi, he declared: “We have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to put the old feuds and bitter hatreds behind us.”
He further urged leaders to “declare that our future will not be ruled by the fights of generations past.”
Starmer, who made a special journey for the occasion, seized the moment to advocate for Britain’s involvement.
US President Donald Trump greets Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a summit on Gaza in Sh (Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Speaking to the press, he said: “What happens tomorrow really matters, and that’s why, what I’ve been discussing with leaders all day is, what part can we play?”.
“And we, the United Kingdom in particular I think, can play a part in monitoring the ceasefire, but also decommissioning the capability of Hamas and their weaponry drawing on our experience in Northern Ireland.”
His proposal received backing from certain delegates, yet Mr Trump – who vowed to help turn Gaza into “the Riviera of the Middle East” – openly championed US-led oversight.
Around 200 American troops will support a multinational monitoring force, with Britain set to play a secondary role subject to additional talks.
Sir Keir queuing with other world leaders (Image: Getty Images)
The summit, which attracted close to three dozen nations, took place at a sensitive moment.
Trump hailed the ceasefire as proof that “everybody said it’s not possible to do. And it’s going to happen. And it is happening before your very eyes.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who chose not to attend the gathering owing to a Jewish holiday, had earlier praised Trump as “the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House.”
