Expert analysis on Trump's lament that US–UK relations are not what they used to be
US President Donald Trump complains about the historical relationship between his country and the United Kingdom, which he says is ‘not what it used to be.’ Professor Fredy Buhama Lumban Tobing, a Professor of International Relations at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), Universitas Indonesia (UI), assesses that Trump’s complaint reflects a shift in the national interests of the United Kingdom and other European countries.
‘European Union member states including the United Kingdom have long tended to display their own stance, their foreign policies diverging from the US,’ Fredy told reporters on Thursday (5 March 2026).
Fredy explained that for a long time the UK and other European Union countries have foreign policies that are not always aligned with the US. The difference, he said, mainly arises from each country’s historical background and national interests.
‘Particularly in facing the dynamics of global issues in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf. European countries such as the UK have a long historical relationship with countries in this circle, especially in the management of oil mining concessions,’ he clarified.
According to him, US ambitions in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf often disrupt the national interests of European countries. This is especially related to oil concession contracts that have long been controlled by the UK and France.
‘The ambitions and policies of the US in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf are increasingly worrying the interests of European countries, especially the UK and France, because they stand to lose oil concession contracts that they have historically held, due to their entanglement with their alliance with the US,’ he said.
‘Therefore, over time the US’s ambitions in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf are becoming heavier on the national interests of European countries. It is not surprising that Britain in this regard no longer fully follows all the desires and ambitions in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf,’ he added.
Trump Calls Britain ‘Not Like It Used To Be’
Earlier, Trump complained about the historical relationship between his country and the UK, which he called ‘not like it used to be.’ He said this in an interview with the British newspaper The Sun, amid a major transatlantic dispute over the US-Israel attack on Iran.
‘This is the strongest relationship of all. And now we have very strong relationships with other European countries,’ Trump said, naming France and Germany, as reported by AFP on Tuesday (3 March).
Trump was also asked for his comments on British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who initially refused to allow the United States to use British military bases in its war with Iran.
Trump said Starmer ‘is not helping,’ and added: ‘I never thought I would see this. I never thought I would see this from the UK. We love the UK.’