Keir Starmer Applauds Trump's Gaza Ceasefire Deal – But Declines of Nobel Prize Backing

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

Ceasefire Deal Welcomed as a "Welcome Development to the World"

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

Speaking on the last day of his business trip to India, Starmer emphasized that the agreement "needs to be put into action in full, without delay, and paired with the prompt removal of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Inquiry Answered

But, when asked if the Nobel committee should now award Donald Trump the prestigious award, Starmer implied that time was required to determine if a durable peace could be attained.

"What matters now is to move forward and execute this ... my focus now is transitioning 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 media briefing in India's financial capital.

Trade and Investment Revealed During Trip to India

Starmer has celebrated a series of agreements sealed during his visit to India – his first time there – accompanied by over a hundred executives and cultural leaders. The visit signifies the passing of the countries' free trade agreement.

• No 10 has unveiled a range of financial commitments, from financial technology to higher education facilities, as well as the making of multiple Indian movies in the United Kingdom.
• On the final day, Starmer finalized a military agreement worth £350 million for British-made missiles, manufactured in the UK region, to be deployed by the Indian military.

"Our history together is deep, the personal ties between our citizens are exceptionally strong," Starmer said as he left Mumbai. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this alliance for our era."

Digital ID System Studied

The Prime Minister has spent time in Mumbai analyzing the national digital identification program, including meeting key figures who designed the widespread system used by over a billion individuals for benefits, transactions, and verification.

The prime minister hinted that the UK was considering expanding the scope of digital ID beyond making it mandatory to verify eligibility to work. He indicated that the UK would in time look at linking it to financial and transaction networks – on a voluntary basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as mortgage and educational enrollments.

"It's been taken up on a optional basis [in India] in huge numbers, not least because it means that you can access your own money, make payments so much more conveniently than is possible with others," he noted.

"The efficiency with which it allows citizens here to utilize facilities, especially banking options, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions recently, and actually a financial technology discussion that we had as well. So we're looking at those examples of how digital ID assists individuals with processes that often take excessive time and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Reforms

Starmer acknowledged that the government had to build public support for the initiatives to the British public, which have declined sharply in popularity since he proposed them.

"I think 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 other countries, citizens say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and consequently I want to proceed with it," he stated.

Rights Issues and Global Affairs Discussed

The Prime Minister confirmed he had raised a number of difficult topics with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and relations with the Russian Federation, though he appeared to have made minimal progress. Starmer confirmed that he and Prime Minister Modi talked about how the country was continuing to buy oil from Russia, which is facing extensive international restrictions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on resolving this situation and the various steps will be taken to that end," he commented. "This included a wide range of dialogue, but we outlined the actions that we are taking in regarding energy."

The Prime Minister additionally mentioned he had raised the situation of the British Sikh activist the individual, from Scotland, who has been held in an Indian prison for nearly eight years without undergoing a complete legal process. It is frequently mentioned as one of the worst examples of injustice among Britons currently detained abroad.

But, he did not suggest much advancement had been made. "Yes, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he said. "We consistently address them when we have the chance to do so. I must add that the top diplomat is meeting the families in coming weeks, as well as discussing it today."

Future Plans

Starmer is widely expected to take a comparable trade-focused visit to the People's Republic of China in the next 12 months as part of a effort to ease diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and China.

That relationship is receiving attention because of the dismissal of a Chinese spying case, reportedly occurring because the British authorities has been reluctant to provide fresh evidence that China is deemed a security risk.

Starmer said the UK was eager to explore other trading relationships but emphasized that a trade deal with China was not on the agenda. "It is not a priority, 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 government in relation to China."