FIRST Minister John Swinney has called for Donald Trump’s Royal invite to Scotland to be axed following his clash with Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Swinney said it was “simply unimaginable” that Trump should be granted a royal visit with King Charles after his showdown with the Ukrainian president where the US president accused Zelenskyy of “gambling with World War Three”.
Keir Starmer handed Trump an invitation from the King to come to one of his Scottish properties at a future date.
The meeting between Trump and the king is due to take place at either Dumfries House in Ayrshire or Balmoral in Aberdeenshire.
However, Swinney told the Sunday Mail the invite should be withdrawn unless Trump is willing to categorically back Ukraine.
He said: “If the US withdraws support from Ukraine, abandoning an ally and betraying democracy, the State Visit cannot go ahead. That is simply unimaginable.
“If, despite what president Trump said, a state visit can help solidify US support for Ukraine; if the US maintains its support for Ukraine, then perhaps it can proceed. Right now, given yesterday’s [Friday’s] shocking events, however, it is hard to believe the visit can happen.
“Calm consideration of what is best for European security is what is now needed. That means standing steadfast behind Ukraine and alongside our European allies and that is exactly where Scotland will be.”
A petition to rescind the king’s invitation to Trump to attend an unprecedented second state visit to the UK garnered tens of thousands of signatures in less than 24 hours.
The online petition followed the fiery meeting between Zelenskyy, JD Vance and the US president which Trump later accused the Ukrainian of being “disrespectful”.
It was reported that Zelenskyy was kicked out of the White House as Trump later posted on his social network, Truth Social: “He can come back when he is ready for Peace.”
Following Swinney’s comments, the SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, also urged the UK Government “not to “roll out the red carpet like fawning fools” for Trump.
Aberdeen South MP told the Sunday Mail: “European democracy is being ridiculed and debased by the Presidential team and while that continues it’s inconceivable that we roll out the red carpet like fawning fools.
“There is a chasm between constructive engagement and the historic nature of a state visit and that gap is something that must now narrow.
“Starmer put the offer on the table because he is desperate to be liked by Trump, that desperation does us all a disservice when the very security of our nearest allies is at stake.”
Fellow SNP MPs Kirsty Blackman and Stephen Gethins and MSP Emma Roddick also backed the calls to scrap the US President’s visit, along with former Scottish Government justice secretary Kenny MacAskill.
The calls to scrap Trump’s royal visit come as the Prime Minister prepares to host a European summit on Sunday in an effort to calm tensions.
Starmer said he would “reaffirm my unwavering support for Ukraine” during the talks with Zelenskyy.
On Saturday evening the UK Government signed a £2.26 billion loan agreement to support Kyiv’s military and the costs of rebuilding after the war.
Ministers expect the loan will be repaid with the profits from frozen Russian assets.
