US President Donald Trump has urged Britain to deploy its military to address the small boats crisis in the English Channel, warning that unchecked migration is “destroying countries from within.”
Speaking at a press conference at Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Chequers residence during the final day of his two-day state visit, Trump told reporters it did not matter what measures were taken, as long as the situation was addressed. “We have to remove them and we are removing them, we have no choice and I feel very strongly about it,” he said.
Trump’s comments came after he was asked by The Sun’s political editor what advice he would offer Starmer. He described managing migration as a “very hard chore” and compared the challenges in the UK to similar issues faced in the United States. The remarks follow reports that more than 30,000 migrants have crossed the Channel from France this year, with only one migrant returned under the “one-in one-out” scheme despite it being in effect for over 40 days.
During the press conference, Trump also addressed other topics, including his frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine. “I expected it to be among the easiest to resolve because of my relationship with Putin, but he has really let me down,” Trump said. Starmer responded that the UK and US were working together to end the killing in Ukraine and increase pressure on Moscow.
The two leaders signed a £31 billion “Tech Prosperity Deal” aimed at advancing cooperation in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and nuclear energy. The deal includes major investments by US companies, including Microsoft’s £22 billion commitment to UK cloud and AI infrastructure, Google’s £5 billion investment in a new data centre, Nvidia’s provision of 120,000 GPUs for a sovereign AI project, and CoreWeave’s £1.5 billion expansion of AI capacity in Scotland. Ministers said the agreement would create thousands of jobs, accelerate medical research, and strengthen British sovereignty over critical technology infrastructure, though critics warned it could increase dependence on US firms.
Starmer hailed the broader £250 billion transatlantic investment as the largest of its kind in British history, estimating it could create up to 15,000 jobs. Trump described his bond with the UK as “priceless” and “unbreakable,” praising the agreement for securing the two countries’ leadership in technology and innovation.
Trump also touched on energy policy, urging the UK to “drill baby, drill” in the North Sea, and expressed disagreement with Starmer on the issue of recognising Palestine. The press conference highlighted both the cooperation and differences in the US-UK relationship as Trump concluded his historic state visit.
