Donald Trump and UK PM Starmer talk business – DW – 09/18/2025

While answering questions from members of the media, Trump suggested a need to reestablish US presence at the Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.

He was talking about “the total disaster” that had been the Afghanistan withdrawal in 2021,  and said it should have been done with “strength and dignity.”

He said the air base, which had been the largest military base in Afghanistan, was given away “for nothing.”

“We’re trying to get it back,” Trump said in an aside as he lamented the difficulty of solving wars.

“We’re trying to get it back, because they need things from us. We want that base back. But one of the reasons we want the base is, as you know, its an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons,” Trump said.

He did not specify under what mechanism the US would be able to take back the air base or if it would entail recognizing Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers.

During his joint conference with US President Donald Trump, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK and US were working together to end the “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza.

He said they needed to “get the aid in, free the hostages and ultimately bring Israel and the region back towards a comprehensive plan which can deliver peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike.”

He made the comments in response to a question from a journalist who asked about Washington and London’s difference in opinion on recognizing a Palestinian state, which the UK has pledged to do in September unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza and meets other conditions.

US President Donald Trump spoke of his disappointment with Russian President Vladimir Putin as he spoke about US mediation efforts.

“The one that I thought would be easiest, would be because of my relationship with President Putin, but he’s let me down, he’s really let me down,” Trump said.

Trump mentioned the assassination of conservative pundit Charlie Kirk who he said was killed for “speaking his mind” and said he had spoken to him about having a chance at being president one day.

US President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister are holding a joint press conference following earlier meetings.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the tech partnership had “the power to change lives” and was a chance for technology to “amplify human potential, solve problems, cure diseases, make us richer and freer.”

The British leader said the pair had “a fantastic meeting” with business leaders who responded with new deals and investments valued at 250 billion pounds, which Starmer said was a record.

“Expected to create 15,000 jobs here in the United Kingdom, high-skilled jobs in cutting edge sectors,” Starmer said.

Starmer said that security “remains the cornerstone of this special relationship” and that the countries shared the “most advanced defense relationship in the world.”

On the deal the leaders signed, Trump said: “We have also just signed a historic technology prosperity deal, one of a kind, to ensure our countries lead the next great technological revolution side by side.”

Trump thanked Starmer for the hospitality he and Melania had received on their visit and said “we’re forever joined and we are forever friends and we will always be friends.”

Tune in below to follow US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s statements in a joint press conference.

US President Donald Trump hailed the relationship with the UK as an “unbreakable bond” as he met with Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Trump said ties with the UK were “priceless” and “I think it’s an unbreakable bond we have.”

Starmer said it was a “great day for the special relationship” as the pair met business leaders at the prime ministers country residence, Chequers.

US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer put pen to paper on a tech partnership aimed at strengthening cooperation in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and nuclear energy.

“It is the biggest investment package of its kind in British history,” Starmer said at his country residence during Trump’s UK state visit, calling the agreement “groundbreaking.”

Trump’s visit has delivered pledges from mainly US tech giants and financial groups to invest a combined 150 British pounds ($205 billion, €173 billion) in the UK over several years.

Officials say will this will bring thousands of jobs and billions in investment in the tech sector.

Currently meeting and touring the archives of Winston Churchill at Chequers, UK Prime Minister Starmer and US President Trump still have a busy day ahead of them.

First will be the leaders’ bilateral talks. Then they will be off to a business reception to celebrate what is expected to be billions worth of deals. 

Following an obligatory press conference, Trump and the first lady, who had a tour of Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House and Royal Library earlier Thursday, will fly back to Washington, DC.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Donald Trump have now entered Chequers, the country residence of British prime ministers.

Trump was welcomed on the doorstep of the Elizabethan house by Starmer and his wife, Victoria.

Trump was set to review a ceremonial honor guard with bagpipers —  a nod to his Scottish heritage — and view archival items from wartime leader Winston Churchill, who coined the phrase “special relationship” for the trans-Atlantic bond between Britain and the United States.

Immediately ahead of Trump’s arrival, Starmer heralded £150 billion in US investment from companies including tech giant Microsoft and asset management firm Blackstone.

“Jobs, growth and opportunity is what I promised for working people, and it’s exactly what this state visit is delivering,” Starmer said.

Starmer has cast himself as a bridge between the unpredictable US president and European allies, especially on Ukraine, seeking stronger commitments for Kyiv.

Starmer’s warm approach to the 79-year-old Republican has been described as surprising, given that they differ sharply in ideology and style — Trump’s combative right-wing populism set against Starmer’s cautious center-left pragmatism.

US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are expected to sign a major tech investment deal on Thursday.

Laurel Rapp of Chatham House tells DW what deals — business and otherwise — Trump hopes for while in the UK.

After a day of gold carriages, salutes, and a glittering banquet at Windsor Castle, US President Donald Trump’s UK visit shifts to hard politics with Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The leaders plan to sign a “tech prosperity deal” that British officials say will bring thousands of jobs and billions in AI, quantum computing, and nuclear energy investment.

US firms have pledged about 150 billion pounds (€173 billion, $204 billion) in UK projects, including $30 billion from Microsoft and a UK arm of Trump-backed Stargate, while UK companies promise nearly $30 billion in the US.

Trump, calling it a “great honor” to be hosted for a state visit again, will be greeted at Chequers — the countryside residence of UK premiers — with a ceremonial guard with bagpipers and treated to a Dover sole lunch, key lime pie, and a Red Devils parachute display.

But trade tensions remain. Talks to cut 25% steel and aluminum tariffs have stalled despite a May pledge to resolve them quickly, a delay the British Chambers of Commerce says would be met “with dismay” by the steel industry.

Starmer, facing sliding poll numbers and recent Cabinet turmoil, also braces for awkward moments. Questions about Jeffrey Epstein are likely at a joint news conference after he fired the UK ambassador to Washington over ties to the convicted sex offender. Trump is also facing persistent calls to release all government files on Epstein.

After royal fanfare at Windsor, President Trump meets Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers to sign a “tech prosperity deal” worth billions in AI, quantum computing and nuclear energy investment.

US firms have pledged about £150 billion (€173 billion, $204 billion), while British companies promise to invest nearly £30 billion in the US. Talks on steel tariffs, however, remain stalled.

Meanwhile, Starmer faces questions over the fired ambassador to Washington’s ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

We’ve paused coverage for now and will return to the blog once morning breaks in the UK.

The US president and first lady will formally bid farewell to the king and queen at Windsor Castle in the morning.

Donald Trump then heads to Chequers, the prime minister’s official country residence in Buckinghamshire, where the pair will hold a bilateral meeting.

Meanwhile, Melania Trump is set to see Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House and the Royal Library at Windsor Castle on Thursday.

She will then join the Princess of Wales at Frogmore Gardens for a meeting with the Chief Scout Dwayne Fields and members of the Scouts’ Squirrels program.