In a meeting with Keir Starmer, Trump suggested that the UK could be exempt from tariffs, saying the minerals deal would enhance the security of British peacekeepers in Ukraine.
At the same time, the US President accepted King Charles’s invitation for an «unprecedented» second state visit.
The report from The Times shows that US President Donald Trump is willing to work with European countries. Right now, the problem seems to be going the other way: The entire European elite is competing to say as many negative things as possible about Trump, incessantly telling us what a threat he poses.
Starmer has such massive problems at home that he has wisely realised that it might be advantageous to maintain good relations with the US, Britain’s closest ally in what is known as The Special Relationship.
Of course, it’s not that the EU doesn’t have problems, but in Brussels, the EU’s unelected leadership doesn’t seem to understand the realities. It’s all about playing to the gallery, dreaming of defeating Russia without US help, and fantasising that an economic miracle can be achieved by investing in «clean industry».
Trump has always been a hardliner, a tactic he described in detail in his book The Art of the Deal. But Brussels – obediently followed by our own government – doesn’t seem too interested in reading books, or understanding history. Virtue-signalling and sheer snobbery are far too alluring.
President Trump has offered Sir Keir Starmer a trade deal that could exempt the UK from being hit by US tariffs, while paying tribute to the «wonderful» relationship between the two nations.
The US president and Starmer announced that talks on a «new economic deal» were underway, and Trump said they could happen «very quickly» during a joint press conference at the White House.
That’s how you get through with a hint of willingness to co-operate. The state of European politics is at a rather tragic low when it is the despised Starmer who emerges as the continent’s most sensible statesman.
The Special Relationship, with Starmer saying that «it’s good to know that the UK has a true friend in the Oval Office», while Trump said the countries had a «unique friendship».
Trump also spoke about the prospect of an end to the war in Ukraine, saying:
– I think we’re going to have two deals. I think we’re going to have an agreement to end the war, and I think we’re going to end up with a good trade agreement with you.
– I think we have a great opportunity to come to an agreement that can be fantastic, really fantastic for both countries, the president said.
– We could very well end up with a real trade agreement where tariffs won’t be necessary.
If Starmer succeeds in avoiding tariffs from the US, and instead achieves closer economic co-operation, then in one sense this could be seen as a major political victory for the reviled British Prime Minister. So here I look at the situation from a British perspective a little more favourably than earlier. In a fairly short space of time – let’s say between 6-12 months – we will get the facts.
But really, it’s more a description of how defeated the EU and Norway are, in a political, economic and security period. If Starmer is the star, then it really doesn’t bode well for Europe.NTB is downplaying the success, but can’t completely ignore the fact that the meeting was successful.
The UK prime minister received no security guarantees for Ukraine when he visited Washington, but Donald Trump opted for a gentler tone than before.
But Trump did make it clear that the minerals deal he will sign with Ukrainian President Zelensky on Friday will be a «backstop» in itself because «we will be over there working in the country». British soldiers, he said, «can take care of themselves» and «don’t need help». Moreover, trump went on to say: «But if they do need help, I will always be with the British.» A clear message to Putin.
Trump also said Starmer had «worked hard» to persuade him to exempt the UK from the tariffs of up to 25 per cent that he imposes on other countries, adding that Starmer had earned his salary, «whatever they pay him over there».
In a future economic co-operation, high tech such as artificial intelligence was particularly discussed.
– We have a similar approach to this question – instead of over-regulating these new technologies, we seize the opportunities they present, said Starmer.
– Today we have decided to move forward and start work on a new economic agreement with advanced technology at its centre. Artificial intelligence can cure cancer. It could be a moonshot for our time.
Here, of course, Starmer is struggling with the UK’s self-inflicted and critical lack of energy. So, of course, is the EU, but in Brussels they choose to close their eyes and scream more of the same.
In the UK, the Labour government seems to be partially coming to grips with reality, but the divisions within the ruling party are not hard to see.
The most sensational thing was that Trump gave Starmer the green light to hand over sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The US and the British have a strategically important military base on the archipelago, which they will be allowed to keep under the terms of the agreement, but given Mauritius’ close ties to Beijing, this seems somewhat odd. In my eyes, this is a bad choice.
However, Trump was categorically dismissive of the idea of Ukraine joining NATO.
Summary: A victory for Starmer, since he did not choose Trump as his opponent. This was a clear example that it’s not that difficult to co-operate with a US ruled by Donald Trump. You simply have to stop behaving like a bunch of self-righteous, spoilt brats who haven’t been able to afford to buy their own candy for decades.
