By Agencies

Copyright dawn

Both leaders hail renewal of ‘special relationship’
• US president says trying to ‘get back’ Bagram airbase from Afghanistan

CHEQUERS: US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he disagreed with Prime Minister Keir Starmer over Britain’s plan to recognise a Palestinian state, after the leaders discussed the war in Gaza.

“I have a disagreement with the prime minister on that score — one of our few disagreements,” Trump said at a press conference with Starmer at the UK prime minister’s country residence Chequers on the second full day of his state visit.

Starmer announced in July that Britain would take steps to recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September unless Israel met certain conditions, including reaching a ceasefire in Gaza.

The issue proved to be one of the few sticking points in an otherwise united front put forward by Starmer and Trump during the press conference. The US has adamantly rejected the notion of countries recognising a Palestinian state, even as France, Canada and other western allies are set to take the step at the United Nations next week.

The leaders also discussed the deteriorating situation in Gaza during their meeting, according to Starmer, who said they were in agreement on “the need for peace and a road map”.

“I want an end. I want the hostages released,” said Trump, calling the war “complex” but avoiding directly answering multiple questions about whether he would urge his ally Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end Israeli bombing in Gaza.

Starmer called the situation in Gaza “intolerable” and stressed the “need to get aid into Gaza at speed”.

He added that recognising Palestinian statehood would be part of a larger “plan for peace” including ensuring Hamas played no part in its governance, without providing additional details about when formal recognition would come.

UK media reported that Starmer could finalise plans to recognise a Palestinian state as early as this weekend, ahead of the UN summit.

Bagram airbase

At Thursday’s press conference, Trump also said he was working to “get back” Bagram airbase, which the United States gave up control of shortly before the 2021 Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.

“We’re trying to get it back, by the way, that could be a little breaking news. We’re trying to get it back because they need things from us. We want that base back,” Trump said.

Trump and Starmer hailed the renewal of their nations’ “special relationship”, drawing the US leader’s unprecedented second state visit to a close with a show of unity after avoiding possible pitfalls.

When the two leaders glossed over differences on Gaza and wind power to present a united front, Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin had “let him down” and he was disappointed other countries were still buying Russian oil because only a low oil price would punish Moscow.

After two days of his state visit to Britain, which the US leader described as an “exquisite honour”, Trump was in a relaxed mode at the final press conference, while Starmer was focused on avoiding areas of disagreement.

Neither leader was tripped up by potentially embarrassing subjects, with both batting away questions over the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his ties to Trump and to Starmer’s former ambassador to the US. “We’ve renewed the special relationship for a new era,” Starmer told reporters. “This partnership today is a signal of our determination to win this race together and to ensure it brings real benefits in jobs, in growth, in lower bills, to put more hard-earned cash in people’s pockets at the end of each month.”

Trump also paid homage to the close ties enjoyed by the two countries, saying Starmer was a tough negotiator in securing the first tariff deal with the US, although Britain has still not got the lower US tariffs on steel that it was seeking.

“We’re forever joined, and we are forever friends and we will always be friends,” Trump said.

Earlier, at the start of a business reception, some of the leading names in US and UK business were welcomed by the two leaders to unveil a record 150 billion pound ($205bn) package of US investment into Britain, part of a wider 250bn pound package officials say will benefit both sides.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2025