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

Keir Starmer has declared that the truce deal in Gaza "would not have occurred without the leadership of Donald Trump," but stopped short of supporting the US president for a Nobel peace prize.

Ceasefire Deal Welcomed as a "Relief to the Globe"

The prime minister commented that the initial stage of the deal would be a "relief to the world" and highlighted that the United Kingdom had played its own role behind the scenes with the United States and mediators.

Speaking on the last day of his trade visit to India, the British leader emphasized that the agreement "must now be implemented in full, without postponement, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all restrictions on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Answered

However, when questioned if the Nobel committee should at this time award Donald Trump the prestigious award, Starmer implied that more time was required to know if a durable peace could be achieved.

"What matters now is to press on and implement this ... my attention now is moving this from the stage it's at now ... and make a success of this, because that matters to me above all," he told reporters at a media briefing in India's financial capital.

Trade and Investment Revealed During Trip to India

The Prime Minister has hailed a series of agreements sealed during his visit to India – his maiden visit there – joined by over a hundred executives and cultural leaders. The visit signifies the implementation of the two nations' free trade agreement.

• No 10 has unveiled a range of financial commitments, from fintech to higher education facilities, as well as the making of three Bollywood films in the United Kingdom.
• On the final day, the Prime Minister finalized a defence deal worth £350 million for British-made missiles, manufactured in the UK region, to be used by the Indian military.

"Our history together is profound, the personal ties between our citizens are truly special," Starmer said as he left the city. "Building on our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this alliance for our era."

Digital ID System Examined

Starmer has dedicated time in India analyzing the national digital identification program, including consulting key figures who developed the comprehensive platform utilized by over a billion individuals for social services, transactions, and identification.

He hinted that the UK was considering broadening the application of digital ID beyond making it compulsory to verify eligibility to work. He proposed that the Britain would eventually look at linking it to financial and transaction networks – on a voluntary basis – as well as for official procedures such as mortgage and school applications.

"It has been adopted on a optional basis [in India] in huge numbers, not least because it means that you can access your own funds, conduct transactions so much more easily than is possible with others," he noted.

"The efficiency with which it allows residents here to utilize facilities, especially banking options, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions recently, and actually a Fintech discussion that we had today. So we're examining those instances of how digital ID assists individuals with processes that sometimes take too long and are too cumbersome and makes them easier for them."

Public Support for Reforms

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

"I think now we need to go out and advocate for the huge benefits ... And I believe that the more people see the positive outcomes that come with this ... as has occurred in different nations, citizens say: 'That will make my life easier,' and therefore I want to get on with it," he stated.

Human Rights and International Relations Addressed

Starmer confirmed he had brought up a number of difficult topics with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and ties with the Russian Federation, though he seemed to have made minimal progress. He acknowledged that he and Prime Minister Modi talked about how India was persisting to purchase oil from Russia, which is subject to widespread western sanctions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the focus on ending this situation and the various steps will be implemented to that end," he commented. "This included a broad spectrum of discussion, but we outlined the steps that we are taking in relation to energy."

The Prime Minister also said he had brought up the situation of the UK-based 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 often cited as one of the worst examples of unfair treatment among UK nationals still held overseas.

However, he did not suggest much progress had been achieved. "Yes, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he stated. "We always raise them when we have the opportunity to do so. I should say that the foreign secretary is scheduled to meet the families in the near future, as well as discussing it now."

Future Plans

Starmer is widely expected to take a comparable business-oriented visit to the People's Republic of China in the coming year as part of a effort to ease relations between the UK and China.

That relationship is receiving attention because of the collapse of a espionage investigation, reportedly occurring because the UK has been reluctant to provide fresh evidence that China is considered a threat.

Starmer said the United Kingdom was keen to pursue additional commercial partnerships 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 need to, and that's been the consistent policy of the administration in relation to China."