Keir Starmer Applauds Trump's Gaza Ceasefire Agreement – However Stops Short of Nobel Prize Backing

Keir Starmer has stated that the truce deal in Gaza "could not have happened without the leadership of Donald Trump," but avoided endorsing the American leader for a Nobel peace prize.

Ceasefire Deal Hailed as a "Relief to the Globe"

Starmer remarked that the initial stage of the agreement would be a "relief to the world" and highlighted that the UK had contributed significantly behind the scenes with the US and negotiators.

Speaking on the last day of his business trip to India, the British leader stressed that the deal "must now be implemented in full, without postponement, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all limitations on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Inquiry Answered

However, when asked if the Nobel committee should now award Trump the coveted award, the Prime Minister implied that more time was required to determine if a durable peace could be achieved.

"The priority now is to press on and implement this ... my attention now is moving this from the stage it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that is important to me more than anything else," he told reporters at a press conference in India's financial capital.

Trade and Investment Revealed During Trip to India

Starmer has celebrated a series of agreements finalized during his tour to India – his first time there – joined by 126 business leaders and arts figures. The visit marks the implementation of the two nations' free trade agreement.

• No 10 has announced a slew of investments, from financial technology to university campuses, as well as the production of multiple Indian movies in the United Kingdom.
• On Thursday, Starmer signed a defence deal worth £350 million for British-made missiles, manufactured in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian military.

"Our history together is deep, the human connections between our citizens are truly special," Starmer said as he left Mumbai. "Building on our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this partnership for our era."

Digital ID Initiative Studied

Starmer has dedicated time in India analyzing the Indian digital ID system, including meeting key figures who designed the comprehensive platform utilized by over a billion individuals for social services, payments, and verification.

He suggested that the United Kingdom was interested in broadening the application of digital ID beyond making it mandatory to prove rights to work. He proposed that the UK would eventually look at connecting it to banking and payments systems – on a voluntary basis – as well as for official procedures such as mortgage and educational enrollments.

"It has been adopted on a voluntary basis [in India] in huge numbers, not least because it means that you can access your own money, conduct transactions so much more conveniently than is possible with alternative methods," he explained.

"The speed with which it enables residents here to utilize facilities, especially financial services, is something that was recognized in our discussions recently, and in fact a Fintech discussion that we had today. So we're examining those examples of how digital identification helps people with processes that often take too long and are overly complex and makes them easier for them."

Popular Backing for Changes

Starmer admitted that the government had to build public support for the initiatives to the UK citizens, which have plummeted in popularity since he proposed them.

"In my view now we need to go out and make that case the huge benefits ... And I think that the more people see the positive outcomes that accompany this ... as has happened in different nations, people say: 'That will make my life easier,' and therefore I want to proceed with it," he affirmed.

Human Rights and Global Affairs Discussed

The Prime Minister confirmed he had brought up a range of challenging issues with the Indian premier regarding civil liberties and ties with Russia, though he seemed to have made minimal progress. He acknowledged that he and Prime Minister Modi talked about how India was continuing to purchase oil from Russia, which is facing extensive international restrictions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the priority on ending this situation and the various steps will be implemented to that end," he said. "And that was a wide range of dialogue, but we did set out the actions that we are undertaking in regarding energy."

Starmer additionally mentioned he had brought up the situation of the British Sikh activist the individual, from Scotland, who has been detained in an Indian jail for almost a decade without facing a full trial. It is often cited as one of the worst examples of injustice among Britons currently detained abroad.

However, Starmer did not indicate much progress had been achieved. "Yes, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he said. "We consistently address them when we have the opportunity to do so. I should say that the foreign secretary is meeting the families in the near future, as well as discussing it today."

Upcoming Initiatives

Starmer is largely anticipated to take a comparable business-oriented visit to the People's Republic of China in the next 12 months as part of a mission to ease diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and China.

That relationship is receiving attention because of the collapse of a Chinese spying case, reportedly occurring because the British authorities has been unwilling to provide fresh evidence that the country is considered a security risk.

The Prime Minister clarified the United Kingdom was eager to explore other trading relationships but emphasized that a commercial agreement with the nation was not on the agenda. "It is not a priority, for a trade deal as such, but our stance is to cooperate where we are able, confront where we must, and that's been the consistent policy of the administration in regarding China."