Keir Starmer refuses to answer simple Putin question in BBC Breakfast car crash

Prime minister Keir Starmer seemingly refused to answer a simple question put to him on BBC Breakfast as he spoke to the programme live from Washington D.C., where he is meeting for peace talks with Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump. Starmer spoke to the show after joining other European leaders at the White House.

During the grilling, he was asked: "How did you feel personally when you saw Putin being given a red carpet?" But Starmer ducked the question, responding: "Well, I-I support President Trump's efforts to bring about a lasting outcome and peaceful settlement of this conflict that's been going on for over three years now...

"Today has shown that we have moved forward, and that in the end for me has always been the test, are we making real progress?"

The answer certainly didn't respond to the red carpet comment - and Starmer seemed as rehearsed as ever.

Putin travelled from Moscow to the US, meeting Trump in Alaska where a red carpet was rolled out for him. The pair posed for photographs and shook hands, before an arranged flyover of four F-22 fighter jets and a B-2 stealth bomber took place.

Reporters shouted questions at Putin, who gave no response as he was asked: "When will you stop killing civilians?"

On Breakfast, Starmer went on: "Today, firstly there was a real sense of unity - I think anybody looking in would have seen that, with European leaders, with President Zelensky, with President Trump all talking together about the outcomes we all wanted to achieve, and making material steps forward on security guarantees, and on the necessary bilateral and trilateral meetings.

"But in that is the recognition that on questions of territory that is a question for Ukraine, that no decision should be made about Ukraine without Ukraine, so look if you judge this on what the outcomes are today, this is good, this is productive, and, er, that's my approach to these matters. Roll your sleeves up, do the hard work, prepare for the right outcomes and today I'm really pleased."