During this week’s highly publicized Peace Summit, a moment involving British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer quickly went viral and not for the reasons he might have hoped.
When former U.S. President Donald Trump took the stage to unveil what he called a “historic peace proposal” for Gaza, Starmer’s facial expression told its own story. Cameras caught the British leader appearing visibly tense as Trump made a bold statement about the possibility of World War III.
“It’s not going to happen,” Trump said confidently. “There was a time you thought it could… but there won’t be World War Three. Hopefully not at all but it won’t start in the Middle East. We’re not going to have a world war if we’re smart.”
According to lip readers, Trump had earlier whispered a cryptic five-word comment to French President Emmanuel Macron during a firm handshake a moment that added even more tension to the event.
Despite the awkwardness, Starmer later called the summit a “historic day,” praising the joint support from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey for Trump’s ceasefire framework. The agreement includes the release of the remaining 20 Israeli hostages, a partial Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza’s key cities, and increased humanitarian aid.
However, the optics were hard to ignore. Starmer was photographed standing behind Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani while Trump dominated the post-signing ceremony. His position literally and diplomatically seemed to underscore how Britain’s global influence has shifted in recent years.
When asked about his role, Starmer emphasized that the UK still had an important part to play:
“What happens tomorrow really matters,” he said. “The United Kingdom can help monitor the ceasefire and assist in decommissioning Hamas weaponry, drawing on our Northern Ireland experience.”
Trump, meanwhile, focused on presenting himself as a global peacemaker. He promised to help transform Gaza into “the Riviera of the Middle East,” with American forces leading a multinational monitoring effort while the UK takes a supporting role.
Although Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not attend due to a Jewish holiday, he later described Trump as “the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House.”
The summit drew representatives from more than 30 countries, marking one of Trump’s most high-profile diplomatic moments since leaving office. Whether this event truly represents a lasting step toward peace or just another moment of political theater remains to be seen.
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