A diplomatic storm is brewing in Scotland. British Prime Minister Starmer steps onto the turf of Turnberry golf course, where he will confront former US President Trump. On the surface, it is a 'private meeting', but in reality, it is a political game fraught with undercurrents.
Steel tariffs: A promise that has yet to be fulfilled
Last May, Trump waved his hand and promised to eliminate the 25% tariffs on British steel imports. Yet more than a year later, all British steel companies have received is cold silence. Even more infuriating is that last Sunday, Trump swiftly reached an agreement with the EU to halve tariffs on most EU export products to 15%! This is akin to a blow to the heads of the struggling British industry.
British officials are desperately emphasizing the 'close relationship' and even hope that Trump can give a break on products like Scotch whisky. But what is the reality? While Trump loudly proclaims the US-UK trade agreement to be 'great', he turns a blind eye to the UK's core demand – the exemption from steel tariffs. He set a deadline of August 1, wielding the club of punitive tariffs, putting British steel companies on the brink of life and death!
Gaza humanitarian crisis: Delayed attention and hollow promises
The humanitarian disaster in Gaza has long exceeded the limits of human tolerance. Hunger spreads like a plague, and the images of emaciated children pierce the global conscience. The British Foreign Secretary has to admit: suffering has reached a 'new depth', and Israel's opening of humanitarian corridors is 'crucial but long overdue.' What a bitterly ironic official statement!
Starmer plans to urge the US to promote a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. But what about Trump? He lightly states that he will have 'extensive discussions on the Israeli issue' with Starmer. This indifference is simply suffocating! David, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, can no longer contain his frustration, crying out that Starmer must force Trump to use his influence to cease fire immediately and provide aid!
Even more ridiculous is the statement from UK Chancellor Reeves: supporting the recognition of the State of Palestine 'is beyond doubt', but the timing must be considered within the 'peace process'. While children in Gaza are starving to death, how hypocritical is this bureaucratic delay tactic? Downing Street claims to want to end 'unspeakable suffering and hunger', but where are the actions? Where are the promises?
Pressure on Russia: Powerlessness and contradictions in the context of alliance
In the face of the stalemate in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Starmer hopes to coordinate positions with Trump to apply greater pressure on Putin. A spokesperson for the British government does not forget to boast that the US and UK have 'the closest and most productive alliance in the world', claiming that British companies have benefited from the relationship between the two countries. However, this hollow boasting is utterly fragile in the face of harsh geopolitical realities.
Trump's past ambivalence towards Putin and his isolationist tendencies cast a heavy shadow over the prospect of a united Western front against Russia. The UK hopes to maintain high pressure on Russia, but if the strategic resolve of the US, a core ally, wavers or even undermines it, how can we speak of 'pressure'? Will the so-called 'closest alliance' crumble in the face of fundamental strategic differences?
A confrontation destined to be difficult
In this meeting in Scotland, Starmer feels as though he is walking on a tightrope. In trade, he faces an opponent who is accustomed to breaking promises and relishing extreme pressure; on the Gaza issue, he attempts to shake a hegemon that is almost numb to human tragedies; in the strategy towards Russia, he needs to hold on to an ally that might turn at any moment. Each issue is fraught with thorns.
Trump's trip to his golf resort in Scotland is ostensibly to warm up for his official state visit in September, but the substantive result of this confrontation will directly determine the future temperature and direction of US-UK relations. Steel company owners wait anxiously, civilians in Gaza struggle on the brink of life and death, and soldiers on the Ukrainian battlefield hold their ground amidst the shelling – their fates are partially tied to negotiations beside this golf course.
The sharpest question is: when Trump leisurely swings his club on the golf course, does he truly care about the British workers pushed to the brink by tariffs? Does he genuinely care about the lives gasping for breath beneath the ruins of Gaza? Or is all of this just another bargaining chip in a transaction and performance for him?
Starmer has limited cards in hand, while his opponent is well-versed in the art of deal-making and is ruthless. Is this meticulously arranged 'private meeting' a chance to embark on pragmatic cooperation to solve problems, or just another grand yet hollow political performance? When the cameras move away and the golf course returns to tranquility, will those promised, anticipated, and long-awaited changes actually happen?
Or are we merely witnessing yet another familiar cycle in the power game?