Trump and Starmer to meet in Scotland with trade and Gaza crisis on the agenda
U.S. President Donald Trump will host British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at his luxury golf resort in western Scotland on Monday for high-stakes talks covering their recent bilateral trade agreement and the deepening hunger crisis in Gaza, officials from both countries confirmed.
Trump, fresh from announcing a major trade deal with the European Union late Sunday, expressed optimism that Starmer would welcome the news, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
“The prime minister of the UK, while he’s not involved in this, will be very happy because you know, there’s a certain unity that’s been brought there, too,” Trump said. “He’s going to be very happy to see what we did.”
Starmer had hoped to secure a reduction in the U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminium, currently set at 50% for the EU, but Trump ruled out any changes, stating that the trade deal with Britain is already “concluded.”
British Business and Trade Minister Jonathan Reynolds described the meeting as a valuable opportunity to press the UK’s case but tempered expectations for immediate announcements.
The leaders were scheduled to meet at noon local time (7 a.m. ET) at Trump’s Turnberry golf resort, before traveling together to another Trump estate near Aberdeen.
Hundreds of police officers secured the perimeter of Turnberry and nearby beaches, with aerial surveillance via helicopter. No protests were reported outside the venue.
Starmer arrived from Switzerland, where the England women’s soccer team had just won the European Championship final.
The escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza dominated discussions behind the scenes. Graphic images of starving Palestinians have drawn global concern.
In response, Starmer has recalled his cabinet ministers from their summer break for an urgent meeting, reportedly focused on Gaza and growing calls within the UK to recognize a Palestinian state.
The Prime Minister reiterated on Friday that Britain would only recognize Palestine as part of a negotiated peace agreement—a position criticized by some Labour Party members eager for swifter action. This stance contrasts with France’s recent decision to recognize a Palestinian state.
Trump recently dismissed French President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to recognize Palestine, a move also condemned by Israel. The U.S. has pledged to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza but insists that other nations share the burden.
Ukraine was also on the agenda, reflecting ongoing global geopolitical concerns.
The Gaza war erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas fighters attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, mostly civilians.
Since then, Israel’s military operations have resulted in nearly 60,000 Palestinian deaths, mostly civilians, according to Gaza health authorities. The enclave’s infrastructure lies in ruins, and nearly its entire population of over 2 million has been displaced.
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