GEOFF BENNETT: Welcome to the "News Hour."

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer continued a week of Oval Office diplomacy today, arriving at the White House for meetings with President Donald Trump and his team.

AMNA NAWAZ: Starmer is the second of three critical European allies to meet with the president this week.

French President Macron was here on Monday, and Ukraine's president arrives tomorrow.

On the agenda today, as with all three leaders, the brutal war in Ukraine, and President Trump's efforts to make a deal with the invader, Russia's Vladimir Putin.

Lisa Desjardins reports.

LISA DESJARDINS: As U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer pulled up to the White House today...

QUESTION: President Trump, can you get a peace deal done on Ukraine?

DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States: Yes.

LISA DESJARDINS: ... Ukraine was top of mind before he and President Trump even got inside.

In the Oval Office: DONALD TRUMP: We're going to be discussing many things today.

LISA DESJARDINS: Starmer, the Labor Party leader, made his pitch for the U.S. to include Ukraine and all of Europe in negotiations.

KEIR STARMER, British Prime Minister: We want to work with you to make sure that peace deal is enduring, that it lasts, that it's a deal that goes down as a historic deal that nobody breaches.

LISA DESJARDINS: But for his tougher asks, Starmer brought a sweetener, a letter direct from King Charles inviting Trump for a historic second state visit seven years after his first.

DONALD TRUMP: The answer is yes.

We have our wonderful first lady, Melania, and myself.

The answer is yes.

LISA DESJARDINS: From there, Trump gave a show of confidence that a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow would hold.

Starmer, as well as French President Emmanuel Macron, have both agreed to send troops to the region to keep the peace if a deal is reached.

The U.S., on the other hand: DONALD TRUMP: I don't think we're going to even be necessary, but I don't think there will be any problem with keeping the deal with the security.

LISA DESJARDINS: Earlier this week, Starmer announced U.K.'s defense budget will rise to 2.5 percent by 2027, a move clearly aimed at pleasing Trump.

DONALD TRUMP: We get along very famously, as you would say.

LISA DESJARDINS: But, as Trump praised Starmer, he indicated he trusts Russian President Vladimir Putin to stick to any peace deal.

DONALD TRUMP: I have known him for a long time now, and I think he will -- I don't believe he's going to violate his word.

LISA DESJARDINS: That in stark contrast to how Starmer and the U.K. has viewed Putin, as the press noted.

QUESTION: It sounds as though one of you completely trusts President Putin, and one of you doesn't trust him an inch.

LISA DESJARDINS: At the same time, Trump played up his relationship with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who will be in Washington tomorrow to sign off on a critical minerals deal.

Reporters pointed out comments Trump clearly made about Zelenskyy online just last week.

QUESTION: Mr. President, do you still that Mr. Zelenskyy is a dictator?

DONALD TRUMP: Did I say that?

I can't believe I said that.

LISA DESJARDINS: Trump stood by his push for tariffs, including with Europe.

And, throughout, both leaders stressed the importance of a strong U.S.-U.K. alliance.

But Trump not so subtly reminded his counterpart about their relative strength.

DONALD TRUMP: Could you take on Russia by yourselves?

KEIR STARMER: Well... LISA DESJARDINS: Awkward moments became more open disagreement when a reporter asked about Vice President Vance's criticisms of the U.K.

Earlier this month, Vance decried the U.K. as censoring free speech, particularly religious expression.

Today, Vance seemed focused on the Internet and how to handle inflammatory, sometimes threatening speech, arguing British policy blocking some was a U.S. concern.

J.D.

VANCE, Vice President of the United States: What the British do in their own country is up to them, but also affect American technology companies and by extension American citizens.

So that is something that we will talk about today at lunch.

LISA DESJARDINS: Starmer immediately responded with a polite, back off.

KEIR STARMER: Well, no, I mean, certainly we wouldn't want to reach across U.S. citizens, and we don't, and that's absolutely right.

But in relation to free speech in the U.K., I'm very proud of our history there.

This has been a very good and very productive visit.

LISA DESJARDINS: Side by side at an afternoon news conference, the two leaders continued working on the latest version... DONALD TRUMP: Thank you very much.

LISA DESJARDINS: ... of their country's special relationship.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Lisa Desjardins.