After a day of royal pomp and pageantry, U.S. President Donald Trump shifted to politics alongside an unlikely ally: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who heads the Labour Party. The two leaders met at Chequers, the prime minister’s country residence, on Thursday to signal the importance of the two countries’ “special relationship” while dodging tough questions about some of their domestic and foreign policies.
For Starmer, the two-day state visit is part of Downing Street’s ongoing strategy to woo Trump as London seeks to strengthen its economy and ease U.S. tariffs. Inviting Trump for a day of royal treatment—complete with horse-drawn carriages, a military flyover, and an opulent state banquet at Windsor Castle—was only step one of the plan, though. Step two entails a $338 billion bilateral investment package.
Dubbed the Technology Prosperity Deal, major U.S. companies such as Blackstone, Microsoft, and OpenAI will invest more than $200 billion in Britain over the next decade. In exchange, several British corporations, including pharmaceuticals giant GSK, will invest in the United States. The deal also pledges greater bilateral cooperation in artificial intelligence, nuclear energy, and quantum computing.
During the meeting, Trump and Starmer also two glossed over key differences—such as on Israel’s war in Gaza and the importance of wind power—to focus on where they find common ground. They both agreed that extra pressure must be placed on Russia to force President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table, though they remain at odds on how best to do that. And they pivoted away from questions about Starmer’s plan to recognize an independent Palestinian state, which Trump disagrees with.
Read more in today’s World Brief: Trump, Starmer Seek Common Ground in State Visit.
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