EDINBURGH, Scotland — U.S. President Trump met on Monday at one in all his Scottish golf programs with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who pressed him on the U.S. taking a bigger position in serving to quell a rising meals disaster in Gaza amid Israel’s ongoing battle with Hamas within the territory.
Starmer and his spouse, Victoria, arrived at Trump’s Turnberry course on the southern coast, and the Republican president spent a number of minutes chatting with them and proudly stating key points of the property. However the prime minister did not wait till they had been inside to insist that Gaza can be a key matter of their assembly, calling what’s occurring there “a determined scenario.”
Trump expressed concern concerning the humanitarian scenario and urged Israel’s chief to take motion as pictures of emaciated youngsters have emerged.
Trump was requested if he agreed with Netanyahu’s remarks about issues of mass hunger in Gaza being overstated and replied, “I do not know. I imply, primarily based on tv, I might say not notably as a result of these youngsters look very hungry.”
Starmer was much more forceful: “I feel individuals in Britain are revolted at seeing what they’re seeing on their screens.”
Trump mentioned Israel “has quite a lot of accountability” for what’s occurring however mentioned the nation is hampered by issues of the remaining hostages it desires to see saved alive and freed.
“I feel Israel can do quite a bit,” Trump mentioned, with out providing extra data.
Trump has a number of Scottish golf programs
The prime minister is assembly with Trump at Turnberry but additionally plans to journey north, to outdoors Aberdeen, the place the president’s household has a second golf course and is holding a ribbon-cutting for a 3rd one on Tuesday.
The occasions permit Trump to try to make good on a submit from his first time period in 2019, when he wrote of his Turnberry property, “Very pleased with maybe the best golf course anyplace on the planet. Additionally, furthers U.Okay. relationship!”
Starmer is famously not a golfer, however toggling between Trump’s Scottish programs exhibits the outsized affect the president places on properties bearing his title – and on golf’s capacity to form geopolitics.
Nonetheless, Monday’s talks additionally coated much more severe points.
The prime minister desires Washington’s assist in convincing Israel to permit extra assist into Gaza and trying to finish what Downing Avenue referred to as “the unspeakable struggling and hunger” whereas pushing for a ceasefire.
Britain, together with France and Germany, has criticized Israel for “withholding important humanitarian help” as starvation spreads in Gaza. Over the weekend, Starmer mentioned Britain will participate in efforts led by Jordan to airdrop assist after Israel quickly eased restrictions.
However British Enterprise Secretary Jonathan Reynolds acknowledged Monday that solely the U.S. has “the leverage” to make an actual distinction within the battle. Trump spoke earlier than the assembly with Starmer about wanting to assist ravenous youngsters, however he has additionally repeatedly complained concerning the U.S. not getting sufficient credit score for organizing previous meals assist into Gaza.
“No person mentioned even thanks,” he mentioned. “Any individual ought to say thanks.”
Palestinian state questions and Ukraine additionally being mentioned
Starmer is beneath stress from his Labour Get together lawmakers to observe France in recognizing a Palestinian state, a transfer each Israel and the U.S. have condemned. The British chief says the U.Okay. helps statehood for the Palestinians however it should be “a part of a wider plan” for a two-state answer to the Israel-Palestinian battle.
Trump, nevertheless, mentioned Monday of Starmer doing so, “I do not thoughts him taking a place.”
Additionally on Monday’s agenda are efforts to advertise a attainable peace deal to finish preventing in Russia’s battle with Ukraine, notably making an attempt to drive Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating desk inside a 50-day window Trump set earlier this month.
Trump mentioned earlier than the assembly with Starmer that he’d work to scale back the “50 days to a lesser quantity” and urged Russia to conform to a deal.
Trump up to now sharply criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for additionally failing to specific sufficient public gratitude towards U.S. assist for his nation, taking an analogous tack he is now adopting with regards to assist for Gaza. The president, although, has shifted away from that tone and extra sharply criticized Putin and Russia in latest weeks.
Trump’s new golf course close to Aberdeen opens to the general public on Aug. 13 and tee occasions are already on the market – with the course betting {that a} presidential go to can assist increase gross sales. Protesters have deliberate an indication in Balmedie, close to Trump’s current Aberdeen golf course. That follows protests throughout Scotland on Saturday decrying the president’s go to as he was out {golfing}.
Refining previous commerce agreements
Whereas China initially responded to Trump’s tariff threats by retaliating with excessive import taxes of its personal on U.S. items, it has since begun negotiating to ease commerce tensions. Starmer and his nation have taken a far softer method.
He is gone out of his option to work with Trump, flattering the president repeatedly throughout a February go to to the White Home, and teaming as much as announce a joint commerce framework on tariffs for some key merchandise in Could.
Starmer and Trump then signed a commerce settlement in the course of the G7 summit in Canada that freed the U.Okay.’s aerospace sector from U.S. tariffs and used quotas to scale back them on auto-related industries from 25% to 10% whereas growing the quantity of U.S. beef it pledged to import.
“The U.Okay. may be very well-protected. You understand why? As a result of I like them – that is their final safety,” Trump mentioned of U.S. tariff coverage in the course of the G7.
Discussions with Starmer observe a Trump assembly Sunday with European Fee chief Ursula von der Leyen at his Turnberry course. They introduced a commerce framework that can put 15% tariffs on most items from each nations, although many main particulars stay pending.
The president has for months railed towards yawning U.S. commerce deficits across the globe and sees tariffs as a option to try to shut them in a rush. However the U.S. ran an $11.4 billion commerce surplus with Britain final 12 months, which means it exported extra to the U.Okay. than it imported. Census Bureau figures this 12 months point out that the excess might develop.
There are nonetheless lingering U.S.-Britain commerce points that want fine-tuning. The deal framework from Could mentioned British metal would enter the U.S. duty-free, however it continues to face a 25% levy.
U.Okay. Enterprise Secretary Jonathan Reynolds mentioned Monday that “negotiations have been occurring each day” and “there’s a couple of points to push a bit of bit additional at this time,” although he downplayed expectations of a decision.
The chief of Scotland, in the meantime, has urged Trump to raise the present 10% tariff on Scotch whisky. First Minister John Swinney mentioned the spirit’s “uniqueness” justified an exemption.
Copyright © 2025 by The Related Press. All Rights Reserved.
