Donald Trump has said that King Charles III's upcoming state visit to the United States could 'absolutely' help repair strained relations between the UK and the US. The US president's comments come amid a growing rift with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who has faced criticism from Trump over Britain's stance on the Iran conflict.
Relations between the two leaders have been fractious in recent months, with Trump branding the UK's approach to the Iran war as 'terrible' and describing Starmer as 'not Winston Churchill'. Starmer has repeatedly insisted that the UK will 'not get dragged in' to the Middle East conflict, stating it is 'not our war'.
In an interview with the BBC, Trump said of the King: 'He's fantastic. He's a fantastic man. Absolutely the answer is yes.' He added: 'I know him well, I've known him for years. He's a brave man, and he's a great man. They would absolutely be a positive.'
The state visit, which begins at the end of the month, will mark the 250th anniversary of American independence and include a private tea with the president and first lady, followed by talks in the Oval Office. However, the King and Queen will not meet with survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, despite reports of a planned private gathering.
The comments come as a boost to Starmer, with Downing Street hoping the royal visit can put the UK-US relationship on a firmer footing. However, former Nato secretary general Lord George Robertson warned that Britain's military reliance on the US is 'no longer tenable', arguing that the UK should not expect relations to return to their previous state even after Trump leaves office.
