Starmer Praises President Trump's Gaza Truce Deal – But Declines of Peace Prize Endorsement

Keir Starmer has stated that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "would not have occurred without the leadership of Donald Trump," yet stopped short of supporting the US president for a Nobel peace prize.

Truce Agreement Hailed as a "Welcome Development to the World"

Starmer remarked that the initial stage of the deal would be a "welcome news globally" and noted that the UK had contributed significantly in private discussions with the United States and negotiators.

Addressing the media on the final day of his business trip to India, Starmer stressed that the agreement "needs to be put into action in full, without delay, and paired with the prompt removal of all limitations on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Inquiry Addressed

However, when asked if the Nobel committee should now grant Trump the coveted award, the Prime Minister suggested that time was required to know if a longer lasting peace could be achieved.

"The priority now is to move forward and execute this ... my focus now is transitioning this from the stage it's at now ... and make a success of this, because that matters to me more than anything else," he stated at a media briefing in Mumbai.

Trade and Investment Revealed During Trip to India

Starmer has celebrated a number of deals finalized during his visit to the country – his first time there – accompanied by 126 business leaders and arts figures. The visit marks the implementation of the two nations' trade pact.

• The UK government has announced a slew of investments, from fintech to higher education facilities, as well as the making of multiple Indian movies in the UK.
• On the final day, Starmer finalized a defence deal worth £350m for British-made missiles, produced in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian army.

"The shared history is profound, the personal ties between our people are exceptionally strong," he said as he departed Mumbai. "Building on our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this alliance for our times."

Digital Identification System Studied

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in Mumbai studying the Indian digital ID system, including consulting principal architects who designed the comprehensive platform used by over a billion individuals for social services, transactions, and verification.

He hinted that the UK was considering expanding the application of digital ID beyond making it mandatory to verify eligibility to work. He indicated that the UK would in time look at connecting it to financial and payments systems – on a optional basis – as well as for official procedures such as mortgage and school applications.

"It has been adopted on a voluntary basis [in India] in massive scale, not least because it ensures that you can retrieve your own money, make payments so much more easily than is available with others," he explained.

"The speed with which it enables citizens here to access services, especially banking options, is something that was recognized in our discussions recently, and in fact a Fintech discussion that we had today. So we're looking at those examples of how digital ID helps people with processes that sometimes take too long and are too cumbersome and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Changes

Starmer acknowledged that the administration had to make the case for the initiatives to the British public, which have plummeted in public approval since Starmer proposed them.

"In my view now we need to go out and make that case the significant advantages ... And I believe that the more people see the benefits that accompany this ... as has occurred in different nations, people say: 'That will make my life easier,' and consequently I want to get on with it," he affirmed.

Rights Issues and Global Affairs Addressed

The Prime Minister said he had raised a range of challenging issues with the Indian premier regarding civil liberties and relations with Russia, though he seemed to have made little headway. He acknowledged that he and Modi talked about how India was continuing to purchase Russian oil, which is facing widespread western sanctions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the priority on resolving this conflict and the various steps will be taken to that end," he commented. "This included a broad spectrum of discussion, but we outlined the actions that we are undertaking in relation to energy."

The Prime Minister additionally said he had brought up the case of the British Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Scotland, who has been held in an Indian prison for almost a decade without facing a full trial. It is frequently mentioned as one of the worst examples of injustice among Britons currently detained abroad.

However, he did not indicate much advancement had been made. "Indeed, we did raise the consular cases," he said. "We always raise them when we have the chance to do so. I should say that the foreign secretary is scheduled to meet the relatives in the near future, as well as raising it today."

Upcoming Initiatives

The prime minister is largely anticipated to take a similar business-oriented trip to China in the next 12 months as part of a effort to improve relations between the United Kingdom and China.

This bilateral connection is receiving attention because of the dismissal of a Chinese spying case, reportedly occurring because the British authorities has been unwilling to provide new proof that the country is deemed a threat.

Starmer clarified the UK was eager to explore additional commercial partnerships but emphasized that a commercial agreement with the nation was not on the agenda. "That's not on our list, for a bilateral pact as such, but our position is to work together where we can, confront where we must, and this has been the consistent policy of the administration in regarding China."