Trump, Starmer sign new tech agreement

U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday signed a technology partnership agreement, Trump said during a press conference at Starmer’s Buckinghamshire estate. As part of Trump’s state visit to the United Kingdom, he and Starmer met with business leaders to hammer out $350 billion in deals under the agreement, he said. The partnership could create 15,000 tech-sector jobs in the United Kingdom, Starmer said.

What are some highlights of the agreement?

• Both countries will establish joint artificial intelligence programs between their respective science agencies. They plan to develop AI use in space exploration and export technology including chips and AI models to one another.

• The countries will collaborate on the advancement of nuclear power, including the development of fusion energy, the signing of commercial energy partnerships, and the fast-tracking of approvals for new nuclear reactors. Both plan to stop buying enriched uranium from Russia by the end of 2028.

• The United States and Britain will found a quantum industry exchange program to share advances in quantum computing and similar technologies in defense, health, finance, and energy sectors.

• They will also carry out joint research and development in 6G telecommunications and technology security, and will cooperate on securing private investment funds for their tech initiatives.

What did the two leaders say about world politics? They discussed continuing cooperation on efforts to end wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Starmer said. The two also spoke about how to put more pressure on Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who had shown that he didn’t want peace, Starmer said. Trump also said Putin had let him down in negotiations. Both urged European countries to stop buying Russian oil.

Trump also said he would speak to Chinese President Xi on Friday about finalizing a TikTok app ownership deal.

Dig deeper: Read Lauren Canterberry’s report on the beginning of Trump’s state visit to Britain.