Trump Hosts UK Prime Minister Starmer at Turnberry for Bilateral Trade Talks

President Donald Trump welcomed UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to the Trump Turnberry Resort on the west coast of Scotland on July 28 for a bilateral discussion, with trade and the war in Gaza on the agenda.

“There’s a huge amount of common ground when it comes to what is in the best interests of our two great countries,” Starmer said during the meeting.

“And I think that because we focus on what’s best for our countries, we get along very well, and I’m very pleased that that’s the case.”

Trump agreed, highlighting his intentions to negotiate mutually beneficial agreements.

“This is a part of the world that I want to see thrive, and it’s going to thrive,” Trump said.

He announced that a pharmaceutical deal between the two is on the horizon, with details coming soon.

Before the exchange, Trump said he had warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that the 50-day deadline he imposed in July for a peace deal could be shortened.

Secondary sanctions and tariffs are also under consideration, according to the president.

“I’m very disappointed with Putin,” Trump said.

“This has happened on too many occasions, and I don’t like it.”

Although Starmer typically meets foreign dignitaries at his official residence at 10 Downing Street in London. Trump changed protocol by hosting the prime minister at Trump’s golf resort.

The British government is seeking to lower the 50 percent steel tariffs Trump imposed. This is unlikely, Trump suggested on July 27, saying the deal with the UK was “concluded.”

The tariff on Scotch whisky, one of Scotland’s economic drivers, is another sticking point that the leaders intend to discuss, Trump told reporters.

Both leaders also touted the future of nuclear power, including small modular reactors among other applications, as a vitally important source of energy.

“You can see in recent years how energy has been weaponized,” Starmer said.

British manufacturer Rolls-Royce, among other companies, will help develop nuclear facilities to facilitate the production of “independent” energy sources in the UK, the leaders announced.

Trump said he will not take a position on whether the recognition of an independent Palestinian state, a policy decision Starmer is pushing for, is a necessary step to establishing sustainable peace.

He did, however, express concern about the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

“I’m looking at getting people fed, that’s the number one position because you have a lot of starving people,” Trump said.

“Other nations are going to have to step up.”

Starmer prioritized ending the suffering, saying children and innocent people are starving to death.

“It’s a humanitarian crisis, it’s an absolute catastrophe. Nobody wants to see that,” Starmer said.

“We’ve got to get to a cease-fire. … This is a desperate situation.”

Seeking to end a number of conflicts around the globe with a combination of personal connections and diplomacy, Trump said recent positive developments between India and Pakistan, and Rwanda and the Congo, are signs that peace is possible.

“If I weren’t around, you’d have six major wars going on,” Trump said.

He said leaders of the two African nations, after ending 31 years of fighting that resulted in approximately 8 million deaths, will visit the White House at a date yet to be determined.

When questioned about people using boats to enter the UK illegally, Starmer vowed to enforce British immigration laws and said the nation is deporting 35,000 individuals.

“For the British people, we’re a reasonable, tolerant country where people are coming lawfully to contribute to our communities, to our country,” he said. “But what we will not tolerate is people breaking the rules.”

“If that is the case, I congratulate you,” Trump said. “You cannot let people come in here illegally. … Taking a strong stance on immigration is imperative.”

The meeting follows Trump’s summit at Turnberry with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on July 27, which concluded with the U.S. president’s announcement that a landmark trade deal had been reached with the European Union.