Keir Starmer (Parliament Politics Magazine) – President Trump and PM Keir Starmer signed a landmark US-UK deal Thursday, boosting cooperation in AI, quantum computing, and nuclear energy.
Starmer described himself and Trump as “leaders who genuinely like each other” at the signing event, which was attended by prominent US IT CEOs. Alongside the pact, American behemoths like Microsoft, Google, and Blackstone have committed £150 billion ($205 billion) in investments.
Donald Trump later said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had “really let me down” after extensive discussions with Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday, the last day of the US president’s historic state visit to the UK.
Trump flew to Starmer’s country home at Chequers for discussions on difficult topics including the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, a day after King Charles III lavished him with royal grandeur at Windsor Castle.
In an effort to get additional promises for Kyiv from the US president, Starmer has positioned himself as a liaison between Trump and European allies, especially on the conflict in Ukraine.
Trump, who criticized the Russian leader for carrying on the war in spite of his attempts to halt it, seems to be responding favorably to his calls for further international pressure on Putin, which he reiterated on Thursday.
At a news conference following his remarks, Trump stated that he had believed that the crisis in Ukraine would be the “easiest” to resolve “because of my relationship with President Putin, but he’s let me down.” He has truly disappointed me.
He urged European nations to stop buying Russian oil, saying that
“if the price of oil comes down, Putin’s going to drop out of that war.”
Trump’s tariff battle has been made more lenient by Starmer’s cordial tone with the 79-year-old. The British leader said Thursday that the May trade agreement between the two nations was “the best” and the first the US has ever signed.
The two, however, had “one of our few disagreements” about the UK’s proposal to recognize a Palestinian state, according to Trump.
On illegal migration in the UK, the US leader likewise expressed strong opinions, saying that “I told the Prime Minister I would stop it”—even if it required deploying the military.
Trump had earlier referred to King Charles as a “great gentleman and a great king” when he said goodbye at Windsor and made his way to Chequers.
Starmer took the US president on a tour of Winston Churchill relics at Chequers, appealing to Trump’s fondness for the British wartime commander.
After dismissing Peter Mandelson, his ambassador to Washington, due to his ties to infamous late financier Jeffrey Epstein, Starmer is now dealing with domestic political issues.
Trump has also been plagued by sexual offender Epstein in recent weeks due to additional disclosures of the couple’s history in the 1990s and early 2000s.
With investment agreements and growing support for Ukraine as evidence of the diplomatic effort, Starmer can say that he has some reason to give Trump an unprecedented second state visit after navigating the potentially dangerous news conference mostly unscathed.
Trump was Wednesday lavished with the full pomp and circumstance of the British state — the second time it has done so, after his first visit in 2019.
“This is truly one of the highest honours of my life,”
Trump said at the state banquet.
Following a day that included bagpipes, horse-drawn soldiers, and cannon salutes—all aimed at appealing to the US president’s preoccupation with royalty—the monarch praised Trump’s peace initiatives and assistance for Ukraine.
However, he also made it clear to Trump that “our children, grandchildren, and those who come after them” depend on the environment being protected.
On Thursday morning, Melania Trump stayed in Windsor, where she and Princess Catherine greeted scouts and toured Queen Mary’s Doll’s House with Queen Camilla.
In protest of the US first lady’s husband’s visit, an estimated 5,000 people marched through downtown London on Wednesday, keeping him away from the British public.
Trump said he was working to “get back” Bagram airbase, which the United States gave up control of after the 2021 Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.
“We’re trying to get it back, by the way, that could be a little breaking news. We’re trying to get it back because they need things from us. We want that base back,”
Trump said at a press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Trump was due to return to Washington later Thursday.
How will the deal impact AI research and innovation in both countries?
The initiative promotes cooperation among top research institutions in the US and the UK on artificial intelligence (AI) standards, AI for scientific discovery, and other emerging technologies like quantum computing. This blending of expertise attracts innovation and builds cutting-edge AI capabilities.
Leading US tech companies, including Microsoft, Nvidia, Google, and OpenAI, have made billion-dollar commitments to the UK’s tech sector that will provide expanded infrastructure, research and development, and AI talent. This investment in-to-action will enable more cutting-edge AI projects, company formations, and startups in both ecosystems of the UK and the US.
The partnership also includes programming focused on exchanging researchers and AI experts, enabling the cross-fertilization of ideas and skills. This both increases the capabilities of the workforce and works to close gaps in the AI talent ecosystem.