UK in 'careful balancing act' amid US-Ukraine tensions, claims Cambridgeshire uni expert
US President Donald Trump has decided to pause military aid to Ukraine
An international politics expert at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) believes the UK has "a balancing act" to follow after Donald Trump's decision to pause US military aid to Ukraine.
Downing Street said on Tuesday that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer spoke to Mr Trump spoke the night before about the need to secure a peace deal in Ukraine hours before the White House paused military aid to Kyiv.
Reports then emerged that Mr Trump was halting the flow of arms to Volodymyr Zelenskyy's country.
"The UK has a careful balancing act to navigate here," Solava Ibrahim, associate professor of politics, development and international relations at ARU, said.
"The UK needs to maintain its strategic alliance with the US but on the other hand, it's very much taking the lead in supporting Ukraine and trying to fill in the gap the US is leaving behind."
Sir Keir 'laser-focused' to secure peace deal
Ministers insisted Sir Keir would not be "blindsided or bounced" by Mr Trump's actions over Ukraine.
The White House suspended delivery of ammunition and other equipment to Kyiv, announcing overnight that assistance is being "reviewed" to "ensure that it is contributing to a solution".
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has said Sir Keir remains "laser-focused" on securing a lasting peace for Kyiv and would not be "derailed" in those efforts.
"We are absolutely focused on making sure that we get that peace and the security guarantees as part of that," she said.
"We won't be derailed or sidelined by commentary, ongoing commentary, but that we will use our relationship, our long-standing relationship, with the US and our European allies to support Ukraine and President Zelenskyy in getting that peace deal and making sure those securities are part of that."
UK cannot 'completely fill in gap' US leaves
Allies led by Britain and France have spent recent days scrambling to find a way forward following the row, which ended with Mr Zelenskyy leaving the White House empty-handed despite plans to sign a minerals deal with the US.
Ms Ibrahim thinks the UK has a key "peacekeeping" role to play alongside other European allies in continuing to support Ukraine.
But she believes it is unable to "fill in the gap" the US has left.
"I don't think the UK can completely fill in the gap the US will leave here because of the nature of the military equipment the US is providing Ukraine; any peace deal will require military support," she said.
"The UK can step in to try and encourage Ukraine to engage in the peace process, but it's unfortunately not in a position militarily, financially or even maintenance wise to step in."