Key facts
- Donald Trump and Keir Starmer agreed to stay in touch after Trump leaves office.
- The agreement was made during a meeting at the Nato summit.
- Trump thanked the UK for its contributions to Nato, noting its long-standing material support.
- Starmer asserted that the UK's international standing has improved under his leadership.
- Starmer declined to comment on Trump's recent criticisms of the UK and his leadership.
Donald Trump and Keir Starmer have agreed to maintain contact after Trump concludes his term as US President, despite recent tensions between the two leaders. The agreement was reached during a meeting at the Nato summit in Ankara.
Starmer indicated that staying in touch with Trump would be part of his ongoing responsibilities to the crucial strategic relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States. He noted that despite recent criticisms from Trump, including calling the UK a "deindustrialised welfare zone," they had "got along really well" over the longer term.
At the summit, Trump shared a chart detailing Nato members' defense spending. Starmer reported that Trump thanked the UK for its long-standing material contributions, placing the UK second among members over the past decade in real terms, though 12th out of 32 in spending as a proportion of GDP.
Starmer declined to engage with Trump's recent criticisms, stating his focus was on the progress made in the UK over the last two years, which he believes has resulted in a stronger economy, public services, and defense, thereby improving the nation's international standing.
Separately, Starmer reiterated his caution against altering fiscal rules to fund increased defense spending, citing the significant cost of servicing national debt. However, senior UK defense officials suggested that a future administration led by Andy Burnham might explore options for increasing military spending within existing fiscal parameters, potentially revisiting the idea of war bonds.