Badenoch joins Starmer to de-bunk Trump’s branding of Zelensky as ‘a dictator’

“Trump’s claim that President Zelensky of Ukraine was a “dictator” brought fierce criticism from the European Union and political leaders in the UK. In a subtle rebuke to the US president, Starmer called Zelensky on Friday… Most British voters disagree with Trump. Only 3 per cent say Ukraine is mostly responsible for the war and 77 per cent blame Russia, YouGov found. Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, said: “President Zelensky is not a dictator. He is the democratically elected leader of Ukraine who bravely stood up to Putin’s illegal invasion. Under my leadership, and under successive Conservative prime ministers, we have and always will stand with Ukraine.” – The Times

• Trump calls Zelenskyy a ‘dictator’ as US rift with Ukraine deepens – FT
• Outrage after Trump calls Zelensky a ‘dictator’, as Starmer calls for unity – The i
• Starmer sides with Zelensky after Trump’s ‘dictator’ attack – Daily Telegraph
• ‘Shameful!’ Trump roundly condemned for branding Zelensky a ‘dictator’ in war of words – Daily Express
• Trump calls Zelenskyy a dictator amid fears of irreconcilable rift – Guardian
• War of Words. Zelensky warns world must choose ‘Putin or peace’ after Trump ‘dictator’ attack as Starmer backs Ukrainian president – The Sun

Comment

Trump’s smearing of the Ukraine regime as scam artists who provoked a war is a rant beneath the dignity of his office – The Sun

Zelensky deserves credit for his miraculous leadership, not Maga scorn – Daily Telegraph

….meanwhile details emerge of Ukraine peacekeeping plan Starmer will present to Trump next week

“Sir Keir Starmer will present Donald Trump with a plan to send fewer than 30,000 European troops to Ukraine in an attempt to secure American protection for the deployment. The Prime Minister is expected to detail how European forces could police any ceasefire deal brokered by the US president when the pair meet in Washington next week. But he will urge Mr Trump to have US fighter jets and missiles on standby in Eastern Europe to respond with lethal force if Russia breaks the terms of any armistice, according to Western officials briefed on the plans. The Anglo-French strategy for a “reassurance force” was presented to Europe’s most powerful leaders at an emergency meeting in Paris earlier this week as they scrambled to respond to Mr Trump opening peace talks with Vladimir Putin.” – Daily Telegraph

• Revealed: The peacekeeping plan for European troops in Ukraine that Starmer will put to Trump as he defends Zelensky from the US President – who launches another attack after ‘dictator’ jibe – Daily Mail
• Britain and France working on plans for ‘reassurance force’ to protect Ukraine – Guardian
• France and UK plan air power-backed ‘reassurance force’ in postwar Ukraine – FT

Comment

Can Starmer exploit Europe’s crisis? It’s an opportunity to reset Britain – Unherd

Starmer’s peacekeeping plan is doomed to fail – Con Coughlin Daily Telegraph

UK on collision course with Russia over peacekeeping troops in Ukraine – The i

>Today

Sending British troops to Ukraine would be mad. Obviously

Boris Johnson claims Donald Trump only aims to shock Europe into action

“President Trump’s claim that Ukraine was to blame for the Russian invasion was meant to “shock Europeans into action”, Boris Johnson has said. The former prime minister said European leaders needed to “stop being scandalised” by Trump’s words and instead help him to end the war. He claimed that the European Union could do more to release $300 billion of frozen Russian assets held by financial institutions in the bloc, which could fund Ukraine’s reconstruction and repay America for its aid. Johnson has previously acted as an intermediary between Trump and President Zelensky, holding talks with the Ukrainian leader two months before the US election. He was also the only British politician who Trump invited into the US Capitol’s rotunda to witness his inauguration last month.” – The Times

Comment

This is the moment that will cement Trump’s legacy – Daily Telegraph

How Russian negotiators will exploit Trump’s rush for a deal – Daily Telegraph

UK inflation jumps to 3% in further Budget blow to the Chancellor’s growth plans

“Inflation in the UK rose faster than expected last month to its highest level in nearly a year, casting doubt on the Bank of England’s capacity to lower borrowing costs and dealing a fresh blow to Rachel Reeves’s growth push. Prices increased by 3 per cent on an annual basis in January, accelerating from growth of 2.5 per cent in the previous month, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The rise topped analysts’ expectations for an increase to 2.8 per cent. The increase pushed inflation to its highest point since March 2024. A leap in private school fees of nearly 13 per cent in January after the government subjected the sector to VAT also put upward pressure on the cost of living.” – The Times

• Now we’ll all pay for Rachel Reeves’ private school tax: Labour’s VAT raid on private schools helps send inflation soaring to a ten-month high – Daily Mail
• Reeves forced to correct official statement on inflation – Daily Telegraph
• Keir Starmer is on course for an absolute shellacking for one reason more than any other – Daily Express
• Workers’ rights: A third of small firms plan to cut jobs – City AM

Asylum seeker declared a child by UK judges despite being 23

“An asylum seeker who is at least 23 years old and has a receding hairline as well as thick facial hair was declared a child by judges. The Home Office previously decided the Sudanese immigrant, who arrived on British shores by crossing the perilous English Channel, was not a 16-year-old teenager – despite his claims. But this decision has since been overturned by immigration judges in a recent tribunal, and will therefore be considered a child on his asylum application. The Home Office claimed the asylum seeker was ‘calculated’ and had tried to hide details from them whilst also being ‘inconsistent’ when it came to his personal information including, his age, name, his origin as well as his ID papers.  Among the judges who managed the tribunal is Hugo Norton-Taylor, who previously permitted a Palestinian family of six to stay in the UK via a refugee scheme created for Ukrainians.” – Daily Mail

Comment

We know the difference between Ukrainians and Gazans – The Critic

Great power brings greater scrutiny – even for judges – Henry Hill CapX

>Today

It really is time to leave the ECHR – Steve Barclay

Labour threatens to limit number of new Tory peers over bill ‘shenanigans’

“The Conservatives could be given fewer new peers as punishment for any attempts to sabotage House of Lords business amid anger at the government’s plans to scrap hereditary peers. Sir Keir Starmer is facing a showdown next month over attempts to overhaul parliament’s upper chamber by eliminating the remaining 92 hereditary seats in the House of Lords. There have been at least 90 amendments tabled by peers resisting their removal before the bill enters the committee stage. Government sources accused opponents of the plan of “shenanigans” by using unconventional procedural measures to slow down the progress of other bills.” – The Times

BBC asked to remove Gaza documentary over teenage narrator’s father’s ties to Hamas

“The BBC has been asked to remove a documentary about children living in Gaza from BBC iPlayer after it emerged the film’s 13-year-old narrator is the son of Ayman Alyazouri, a deputy agriculture minister in the territory’s Hamas-run government. The corporation said that it had discovered the family connections of the film’s English-speaking narrator, a child called Abdullah, after the documentary was aired on BBC Two on Monday evening. A new text attached to the film, Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, reads: “The narrator of this film is 13-year-old Abdullah. His father has worked as a deputy agriculture minister for the Hamas-run government in Gaza. The production team had full editorial control of filming with Abdullah.” The decision came after the connection was exposed in a blogpost by an antisemitism researcher, David Collier, on Tuesday and reported on in the Jewish Chronicle.” – Guardian

Comment

The BBC’s Gaza documentary omitted something astonishing – Spectator

At long last, we have the BBC’s smoking gun moment – Jake Wallis Simons Daily Telegraph

News in Brief

The elderly don’t need more political representation – John Oxley Spectator

Steve Bannon is ready for war He talks Musk, China and a third Trump term – Unherd

Populism won’t fix Wales’ housing crisis – Matthew Kilcoyne Cap X

Are 3.1 million Brits really too sick to work? – Spectator

An imposter at ARC – The Critic

The post Newslinks for Thursday 20th February 2025 appeared first on Conservative Home.