Trump and New UK PM Burnham Discuss Trade, Defence, and Hormuz Strait
United States President Donald Trump said on Monday that he had a "very good conversation" with new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, adding that they would meet "in the not too distant future."
Burnham became Britain's seventh prime minister in a decade on Monday, pledging to reshape the country's politics with a new economic model and to revive a nation "fed up" with a revolving door of leaders.
In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump said they discussed North Sea oil, trade, the military alliance between the two countries, and the demining of the Strait of Hormuz. "The call was interesting, and went very well," Trump wrote, without specifying a date for their meeting.
Trump had previously been critical of former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the US-Israeli war on Iran, immigration, energy, and tech regulation. Relations between Trump and Starmer cooled when Britain initially rejected a US request to use British bases for strikes on Iran, though Starmer later authorised their use.
Burnham's office said he assured Trump that London remains committed to defence and security and would support the safe reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively blocked since the start of the war, leading to higher energy prices.
Late last month, Trump said he knew little about Burnham, describing him as "extremely liberal" and likely opposed to opening the North Sea for more oil drilling. However, Monday's call appeared to mark a more positive start to their relationship.
