Keir Starmer shows his greatest strength as he catches up with Zelensky

"Good to see you again," Volodymyr Zelensky said, hugging Keir Starmer when they met for a walk-and-talk in the gardens of the G7 summit. The pair joked and laughed as they sat down for a cuppa on the terrace - in a show of not only solidarity between the UK and Ukraine, but the friendship between the two leaders. Starmer - who was this time joined by his wife Victoria - always appears most comfortable on the world stage. During the three-day summit, the PM held one-on-one meetings with President Zelensky, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several EU leaders. This morning he enjoyed a chat with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who was on a walk in sunny Evian-les Bains. And Mr Starmer even said he and Donald Trump were getting on “really well” (despite many of the US President’s recent attacks on the UK). The pair sat beside one another chatting for a two-hour dinner that included petit pois caviar and a selection of French cheese on Monday evening. And Mr Trump kept patting Mr Starmer on the back during the summit’s key sessions. This included one on Ukraine where the PM in particular is understood to have taken a lead in hailing the war-torn country’s resistance against Russian aggression. Mrs Starmer is also said to be a hit with world leaders. The PM’s steely duty to public service and dedication to representing Britain internationally are his greatest strengths. I was struck by his clarity and calmness when the UK journalists on the trip gathered around to grill him on everything from defence spending rows, to leadership challenges and the Makerfield by-election. For Mr Starmer, he is certain the public want him to focus on efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and to ease the impact on energy bills, along with coordinating with world leaders to apply pressure on Russian despot Vladimir Putin. “My job is to get on and serve the country, bring about the change, try and help solve some of the big global issues that are having such an effect on our economy and our country,” he told reporters at the summit. “I'm here (at the G7) concentrating on that. That's the right thing to do, and I think most people would say there's always political chatter. We don't want our Prime Minster getting involved in that." The trouble for Mr Starmer is voters are sceptical he can deliver for them domestically. Worse, a row over defence spending has also triggered questions about the PM’s commitment to international security. Mr Starmer is steadfast in representing the UK on the world stage. But his days getting to stand side by side with world leaders might be numbered. For now, the PM will head back to Downing Street to watch England play its first game in the World Cup. The football might be the PM’s best chance for a win anytime soon.