Scotland’s first minister, John Swinney, said on Tuesday that he discussed the humanitarian situation in Gaza, the war in Ukraine and tariffs on Scottish whisky exports in a meeting with President Trump, according to a statement from the Scottish government.
The White House did not immediately release details of the conversation between the two leaders, which came on the last day of Mr. Trump’s four-day visit to Scotland.
Mr. Trump’s meeting with Mr. Swinney on Tuesday followed more than an hour of discussions between the two leaders at dinner on Monday.
After opening a new golf course at his Aberdeenshire resort, Mr. Trump flew back to the United States where, he said, he would return to his main task, which was to “put out fires all over the world.”
In brief remarks at the inauguration of his latest Trump-branded property, Mr. Trump said that his administration had stopped a war on Monday, referring to the recent conflict between Thailand and Cambodia.
“That’s much more important than playing golf, as much as I like it,” Mr. Trump said before walking to the first tee.
In his statement, Mr. Swinney said he asked Mr. Trump for economic protection for Scottish salmon exports, without specifying what the protection might be. He also requested that whisky be exempt from the 10 percent tariff on sales to the United States. There was “now a window of opportunity” for him to make the case for trade concessions for whisky, Mr. Swinney said.
On international issues, Mr. Swinney said he had “implored President Trump to use his immense influence on the Israeli government to end the unbearable, unjust and inhumane situation unfolding in Gaza,” and he urged him to “stand firm in defense of democracy and peace” in Ukraine. He did not say how Mr. Trump responded.
The Scottish government also released information on the gifts exchanged between the two leaders. Mr. Swinney gave Mr. Trump a copy of a 1921 census featuring the president’s mother, Mary Anne, at age 9, her parents and siblings. All were living near Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland, at the time. The president was also given a document dating from December 1853 recording the marriage of Mr. Trump’s maternal great-grandparents and a historical map of Lewis. Mr. Trump gifted Mr. Swinney an American Bald Eagle figurine.
The two men are not political allies. Last year, Mr. Swinney publicly supported Kamala Harris, a Democrat, in her presidential election campaign. But Mr. Trump praised the Scottish first minister on Tuesday.
Asked four times by STV, a Scottish public broadcaster, whether he liked the president, Mr. Swinney described Mr. Trump as “pleasant company,” adding, “I appreciated the time and the opportunity to engage with President Trump as I would engage with any world leader who came to Scotland.”
Stephen Castle is a London correspondent of The Times, writing widely about Britain, its politics and the country’s relationship with Europe.
Matthew Mpoke Bigg is a London-based reporter on the Live team at The Times, which covers breaking and developing news.
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