During a call between the two leaders, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer praised US President Donald Trump for his “role in securing the landmark ceasefire and hostages deal in Gaza.”
Just hours before Trump lauded Sir Keir’s “very good job thus far” and mentioned their “very good relationship,” the two had a discussion on Sunday.
The agreement, reached earlier this month between Israel and Hamas, was negotiated in close coordination between the Trump administration and Joe Biden’s government.
The president expressed his gratitude for the liberation of Emily Damari, a British-Israeli captive who was recently released, according to Downing Street.
Just days before Trump took office, the 28-year-old was among the first three hostages released by Hamas last week following an agreement on a ceasefire.
An spokesperson from Hamas had earlier said that Trump had told mediators he wanted a deal before he took office.
In an effort to get Hamas to release the captives, he publicly threatened “hell to pay” and dispatched an envoy to meet with Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, to put pressure on Netanyahu to reach an agreement.
It seems like the 45-minute call focused more on areas of agreement than differences.
What if Trump and Starmer, two polar opposites, could actually work together?
Trump and Sir Keir “discussed the importance of working together for security in the Middle East,” according to Downing Street.
“Deregulating to boost growth” was the government’s policy outlined by the prime minister during the call.
Sir Keir intimated on Sunday that she would back the expansion of Heathrow Airport, and earlier this week he unveiled proposals to prevent campaigners from repeatedly suing over planning decisions for big infrastructure projects.
Both Trump and tech billionaire and adviser Elon Musk share a desire to reduce government oversight of businesses. Musk had previously voiced his displeasure with rules that his companies faced before becoming an official in the United States government.
On the other hand, Musk has been quite critical of Sir Keir and has demanded the prime minister’s resignation on multiple occasions.
Musk accused Sir Keir of being “deeply complicit in the mass rapes in exchange for votes” earlier this month in reference to the grooming gangs issue.
In response, Sir Keir—who oversaw public prosecutions from 2008 to 2013—claimed that his detractors were “spreading lies and misinformation” and that he dealt with charges “head on.”
A “very good guy” according to Trump, who lauded the prime minister’s leadership in a Saturday interview with the BBC while aboard Air Force One.
“I may not agree with his philosophy, but I have a very good relationship with him.”
The discussion seemed to be friendly despite the fact that they had philosophical differences.
Following the passing of his brother Nick on Boxing Day, the president started the call by expressing his sympathies to Sir Keir.
The British royal family was likewise the object of his “respect” remarks.
A lifelong and outspoken admirer of the royal family, Trump’s mother was born in Scotland.
The president praised Prince William, calling him a “good man” who is doing a “great job,” during their meeting last month in France.
After his call with Trump, Sir Keir commented on X, “I look forward to meeting soon to strengthen the close ties between our countries.”
This will be the first encounter between the two men since Trump retook the presidency, though they had met multiple times before, notably when Sir Keir visited Trump Tower in New York while he was running for president.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced last week that Sir Keir would be meeting with Trump in Washington “within the next few weeks” for discussions.
The request did not serve as a platform for a comprehensive policy review, but the possibly controversial plan to relinquish control of the Chagos Islands—site of a joint US-UK military installation—was omitted.
There was some discussion of trade, but no mention of the tariffs that Trump has threatened to levy on foreign suppliers to the United States, a move that the British government is actively trying to avert.
