Kemi Badenoch said Donald Trump is acting ‘in the national interest’ despite his interventions causing chaos around the world – and said the UK should do the same
Kemi Badenoch said the UK should be more like Donald Trump as she claimed the US President was acting in his country’s interests.
The under-fire Tory leader made the remarks as Trump’s interventions on the world stage plunge Europe into chaos. The erratic US President has sparked fears he will cave in to Vladimir Putin and force through a peace deal on Ukraine that rewards Russian aggression.
He has also threatened to hit the UK with damaging tariffs that could wipe billions of pounds from the economy. Asked if the US is becoming a threat to British interests, Ms Badenoch said: “”Let me be clear, the US is not an authoritarian regime.
“It shares those same western values that we share – free trade, free enterprise, free speech, but what we see it doing is acting in its national interests. It is being realistic, and we need to be so too.”
But she said she did not agree with Trump’s attacks on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who he dismissed as a “dictator”. Ms Badenoch said: “America is an ally, but I’ve been very clear that I disagree with President Trump when he said that President Zelensky was a dictator. Vladimir Putin is a dictator, and I wouldn’t be afraid to say so.
“But I also would be saying things that he and I would agree with, which is that we need to spend more on defence. And the relationship, even with friends and allies, isn’t about just telling people what they want to hear. It’s about speaking the truth.”
Ms Badenoch also said it “absolutely critical” the PM succeeds in his talks with Donald Trump on Ukraine as he prepares to jet to Washington DC.
She said: “An end to the war is being negotiated while a fifth of Ukrainian territory is under enemy occupation. The danger is that aggression does not merely go unpunished, but ends up rewarded. Russia and other authoritarian regimes will be emboldened, if that is how this war ends.
“And this is why it is absolutely critical that the Prime Minister succeeds in his talks with President Trump later this week.”
In a speech on foreign policy, Ms Badenoch said Keir Starmer should slash overseas aid and welfare spending in order to hike defence spending. Despite both areas already enduring severe cuts during the Tories’ 14-years in power, the Conservative leader said the government should go further.
During a major speech, she said there “will be painful decisions”, but said spending on defence needed to increase significantly.
Ms Badenoch said: “He should consider whether some of the 0.5% currently spent on development aid should be repurposed at least in the short-term towards defence and security.
“He should also look at making welfare savings to fund increased defence expenditure.” In October former Tory Deputy Foreign Secretary Andrew Mitchell warned that cuts to overseas aid could fuel migration to Europe.
