London: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has paid tribute to Donald Trump for his role in securing a “landmark” Israel-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza in his first official phone conversation with the US President.
A readout from 10 Downing Street in London Sunday night stated that the two leaders had a warm exchange and agreed to meet in person soon. The phone call came soon after Trump told reporters that he thought Starmer had “done a very good job” so far.
“The Prime Minister paid tribute to President Trump’s role in securing the landmark ceasefire and hostages deal in Gaza,” a Downing Street spokesperson said.
“The President welcomed the release of [British Israeli hostage] Emily Damari and sent his best wishes to her family. They discussed the importance of working together for security in the Middle East,” the spokesperson said.
The phone call began on a more personal note as Trump expressed his condolences to Starmer on the loss of his brother, who passed away last month, and Starmer congratulated the US President on his inauguration January 20.
“They also discussed trade and the economy, with the Prime Minister setting out how we are deregulating to boost growth. The two leaders stressed the importance of the close and warm ties between the UK and the US, and the President spoke of his respect and affection for the royal family,” the Downing Street spokesperson said.
“They agreed to meet soon and looked forward to further discussions then,” the spokesperson added.
Starmer has previously met Trump for a private dinner at Trump Tower in New York in September 2024, after the Labour Party won the general election in July 2024 and ahead of the Republican nominee’s election as US President for a second time. The pair held two calls ahead of Trump’s inauguration in Washington DC last week.
Over the weekend, Trump told reporters travelling with him on ‘Air Force One’ that he and Starmer “get along well” despite the UK PM being “liberal, which is a little bit different from me”.
“He’s represented his country in terms of his philosophy. I may not agree with his philosophy but I have a very good relationship with him,” Trump was quoted as saying.
He also indicated that his first international trip could be to the UK or Saudi Arabia – the first country he travelled to as president during his first term.
PTI
