Trump: "Very Good Conversation With New UK Prime Minister... Discussed North Sea Oil Development and More"

Leaders' Phone Conversation Highlighted on Truth Social

Andy Burnham, the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, is delivering his inaugural speech on the 20th (local time) at Downing Street in London. Photo by EPA Yonhap News

U.S. President Donald Trump stated on the 21st (local time) that he had a "very good conversation" with Andy Burnham, the new UK Prime Minister, and discussed various matters, including North Sea oil development.

President Trump said on his social media platform, Truth Social, "I had a very good conversation with Prime Minister Burnham," and added, "We will meet in the not-too-distant future to discuss matters of mutual interest." He went on to remark, "Although there are major challenges ahead, Prime Minister Burnham is more than capable of overcoming them, and the United States will stand together to support these efforts."

This call marked the first conversation between the two leaders since Burnham was inaugurated on the 20th. During their call, they discussed current issues, including the development of North Sea oil, trade relations between the two countries, the military alliance, and the issue of mine clearance to resume safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Prime Minister Burnham conveyed to President Trump his commitment to closely cooperate with the United States in defense and security and to support the resumption of safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

North Sea oil development is one of President Trump's primary interests. On the previous day, ahead of the inauguration ceremony, he claimed on Truth Social that Prime Minister Burnham would "fully open up the immensely valuable North Sea oil fields." He also stressed, "This will allow the UK to escape its current catastrophic state of poverty and become one of the wealthiest countries in the world." However, environmental groups are urging the new government to uphold the Labour Party's 2024 pledge to prohibit new oil and gas drilling permits. The Financial Times (FT) has projected that Prime Minister Burnham will maintain this pledge by allowing oil and gas production only in areas where permits have already been granted.

There is also interest in whether bilateral relations will improve with Prime Minister Burnham's inauguration. President Trump had sharp conflicts with Burnham's predecessor, former Prime Minister Keir Starmer, not only over Iran but also regarding immigration policy, energy policy, and technology regulation. In particular, the Starmer government cooled relations by refusing a U.S. request to use British military bases for airstrikes on Iran. However, after the UK government later approved the use of the bases, some of the tensions were eased.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.