As President Donald Trump wraps up his visit to the United Kingdom, he and Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed an agreement Thursday on science and technology.
Starmer referred to Trump not only as his friend, but a friend of the United Kingdom.
It came after other British leaders, including King Charles III and Queen Camilla, went all out in order to impress Trump, first lady Melania Trump and the members of Trump’s Cabinet who accompanied him on the trip.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt traveled with Trump.
The U.K. officials were looking to secure key trade and business deals during the visit, which Trump called “one of the highest honors of my life.” He noted the historic nature of being the only sitting president in modern history to have a second state visit.
The roundtable, held at Chequers, a manor house northwest of London, greeted Trump with a ceremony. He was shown items from a Winston Churchill archive. The president later told business leaders at the event that the United States and U.K. have an “unbreakable bond.” Starmer echoed his sentiment.
While the visit was centered around tech and business deals, Trump and Starmer discussed the Russia-Ukraine war and the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The deal between U.S. and U.K.
Both U.S. and U.K. companies pledged investments in either country as part of the agreement. British and American companies agreed to invest about $204 billion in the U.K., including $122 billion from Blackstone investment firm. Another $30 billion was pledged by British pharmaceutical company GSK in the U.S., The Associated Press reported.
The agreement is expected to lead to thousands of jobs and new investments in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and nuclear energy. American AI companies, including OpenAI, are planning to expand in the U.K. with a $42 billion investment and a $30 billion investment from Microsoft, the AP reported.
The meeting was another example of how world leaders trying to secure deals as the president shakes up international trade with tariffs. Trump said he’d keep the 10% tariff rate on goods coming from the U.K. but he and Starmer celebrated the tech agreement as a “historic” deal that will benefit people from both countries.
The discussion Thursday followed a day of pomp and ceremony for Trump. His first day in the U.K. was filled with military pageantry, meetings with the royal family and other public demonstrations.
Trump spent much of the day with King Charles III and Queen Camilla. He also met with Prince William and Princess Catherine. He laid a wreath at the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II, who hosted Trump during his first state visit in 2019. Trump made note that his mother was a great fan of the former Queen.
Notably missing from the events was Prince Andrew, who had ties to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The former U.K. ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, was also not in attendance, as Starmer fired him last week over ties to Epstein.
Late Wednesday, a state dinner was held in Trump’s honor at St. George’s Hall. Several influential business leaders were in attendance, including Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman, media mogul Rupert Murdoch, Open AI CEO Sam Altman and Apple CEO Tim Cook.
Joint remarks
On Thursday, after the announcement of the tech partnership, Trump and Starmer delivered remarks to the press.
Starmer said the new agreement confirms the U.S. and U.K. status as “first partners in science and technology” and said they are ready to “define this century together.”
“This is the territory on which the future will be run. So, this partnership today is a signal of our determination to win this race together and to ensure it brings real benefits,” he said.
Starmer leaned heavily during his remarks on the long “special relationship” that the two countries share, including in defense and across industries. He highlighted that the United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence next year and the allies have “come a long way since 1776,” and that their partnership has “shaped the world.”
“Time and time again, it’s British and American men and women, side by side, changing the path of history and turning it towards our values, towards freedom, democracy and the rule of law. In Britain, we take huge pride in that,” Starmer said. “And let’s be clear, this relationship is not just about history. It’s about the future. It’s about the benefits it delivers now and for decades to come.”
Trump thanked Starmer for the “wonderful hospitality” during his visit and said the U.S. and U.K. have done more good for the world than any other partnership.
“We’re forever joined, and we are forever friends,” he said. “This enduring connection is why I was thrilled that the United Kingdom was the very first country with which we made a historic trade deal.”
Trump said he was hopeful that traditions can continue on both sides of the Atlantic ocean and that the two countries will “always be united.”