Finance
Trump says 'sad to see' US-UK relationship is not what it was
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 3, 2026
2 min readLast updated: March 3, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 3, 2026
2 min readLast updated: March 3, 2026
Trump lamented that the US–UK “special relationship” has weakened, criticizing Prime Minister Keir Starmer for initially withholding military cooperation, while Starmer emphasized national interest, legality and historical lessons in his cautious approach.
LONDON, March 3 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said it was "sad to see" the relationship with Britain was "not what it was" after Prime Minister Keir Starmer initially held off giving military support to the strikes against Iran.
Trump said the likes of France had been more supportive and said he had never expected to see the once "most solid of all" relationships change in this way.
"It's very sad to see that the relationship is obviously not what it was," Trump told the Sun newspaper on Tuesday, his second interview to a British newspaper in as many days where he criticised the British leader.
Starmer said late on Sunday that he would allow the U.S. to use British military bases for defensive strikes after they were not used in the initial attack on Iran.
Trump said the U.S. did not need Britain to wage war in the Middle East but added: "It's not going to matter, but (Starmer) should have helped… he should have.
"I mean, France has been great. They've all been great. The UK has been much different from others."
Senior British minister Darren Jones told Times Radio in response to the latest Trump comment's that the U.S.-UK relationship remained crucial but said the country had learnt lessons from its involvement in the 2003 Iraq war.
"One of the lessons of Iraq was that it's better to be involved in these situations when you are aligned with international partners, and as I say, with a clear legal basis in the plan," he said.
Starmer said in parliament on Monday: "President Trump has expressed his disagreement with our decision not to get involved in the initial strikes, but it is my duty to judge what is in Britain’s national interest. That is what I have done, and I stand by it."
(Reporting by Sarah Young; writing by Kate Holton)
Trump stated it was 'sad to see' the US-UK relationship is not as strong as it once was, following Britain's stance on Iran strikes.
Trump criticized Keir Starmer for initially withholding military support for US-led strikes against Iran, contrasting this with the support from countries like France.
Senior British minister Darren Jones emphasized the US-UK relationship remains crucial, highlighting lessons learned from past conflicts and the importance of international alignment.
Starmer stated that his decision was based on the UK's national interest and that he stands by it despite Trump's disagreement.
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