It hasn’t been the easiest of starts for this prime minister, so he will welcome today’s moment of unity in the Commons in the wake of an historic weekend of jaw-dropping global politics.
Fresh off the back of those shocking White House scenes on Friday, followed by two days of flurried diplomacy, Starmer’s address to MPs must be one of his best moments in office so far.
After his own visit to Washington exceeded expectations and Zelenskyy’s descended into disaster, he quickly emerged as the measured middleman on the world stage.
His statement in the House set out the detail of the difficult path ahead to peace and reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to Ukraine.
Even Farage has been impressed
It also established the strategy of realpolitik over ideology as he chastised those pushing him to choose between the US and Europe, saying the past week had shown this to be a “totally unserious” approach.
His words were met with a wave of support from all sides, with even Nigel Farage admitting “yesterday was a triumph”.
This rare praise coincides with a surge of popularity in the polls, something he hasn’t enjoyed since taking office.
All of which confirms a dynamic long-acknowledged in British politics – that a prime minister struggling at home can change their fortunes if they stand tall amid international instability.
Starmer has so far proved he can do that, and then some.