Trump and Starmer strike $335 billion deal. The US partner in Europe is the UK

Brussels – Donald Trump’s United States has chosen its partner in Europe: it is the United Kingdom. The two economies are strengthening relations thanks to an investment plan worth $335 billion. The sectors involved will mainly be nuclear energy, artificial intelligence, and pharmaceuticals. London, which had already managed to wrest a more favourable trade agreement with Washington (basic tariff at 10 per cent) than the EU, is now entering into a partnership described by the tycoon as “unprecedented.” The trade deal was also achieved, according to Trump, thanks to the “skilful negotiator” Starmer. An indirect dig at those who were less so.

The “Tech Prosperity Deal”, so christened during the lavish signing ceremony, was sealed at Chequers, in the country residence of the British Prime Minister. Among the 19th-century paintings of the residence were some of America’s most influential technology entrepreneurs, such as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. 

The promised efforts are substantial. Bill Gates’ tech giant announced investments of $30 billion in artificial intelligence infrastructure and related operations. Similar commitments have also been made by Salesforce, Nvidia and Palantir, among others. For its part, however, London has put its leading companies on the plate. At the forefront are the pharmaceutical company GSK, which will invest $30 billion in research and development in the US over five years and he oil company BP, which will spend $5 billion a year.

The American president, pampered during his two days in Britain, was only cornered in the final press conference. The topics addressed were diverse. There was talk of the war in Ukraine, where Starmer urged Trump to increase pressure on Putin, stating: “Violations against NATO airspace are not the act of a person who wants peace.” Trump merely replied that Putin had “disappointed” him. Then, returning to the subject later, he took the opportunity for an earful to the European Union: “I am willing to do other things (against Russia, ed), but not when the people I stand up for buy oil from Russia. If the price of oil goes down, quite simply, Russia will rest content.”

The greatest divergence between the two was evident in their views on the crisis in the Middle East. The British prime minister emphasised that “recognition of the Palestinian state will be a step towards a two-state solution,” while the tycoon disagreed: “It is one of the few points on which we do not agree.” 

Despite differences over the Middle East, however, the relationship between the two seems genuine. Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff told Politico: “The president is very open to listening to Starmer’s views, irrespective of political ideology. They both share a view.”  A bond that transcends centuries, because, as Trump stated, the United Kingdom and the United States have done “more good for the planet than any other pair of nations in history”