Chequers Handshake, Hard Questions: US–UK Strike a “Tech Prosperity” Pact on AI and Nuclear — and Spar over Gaza, Ukraine

President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer used the full pomp of a state visit to ink a sweeping Technology Prosperity Deal on Thursday, then waded into the wars in Ukraine and Gaza at a joint presser from Chequers.

Starmer pitched the pact as having the “power to change lives.” Trump called it “historic,” boasting of roughly $350 billion in deals linked to the visit (Downing Street touted a package near $340 billion and 15,000 jobs). Beyond the headline numbers, the agreement tries to hard-wire the allies together on three big tech pillars: AI, civil nuclear, and quantum.

What’s actually in the deal?

AI

• Tightens ties between the US Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI) and the UK’s AI Security Institute (AISI)—think shared testing, standards, and staff exchanges for cutting-edge models.
• Launches an AI for Science program across US Energy, Health, NSF and UK counterparts to drive automated labs, new datasets, and precision-medicine research, especially on cancer and chronic disease.

Civil nuclear

• Lines up US and UK regulators to accelerate licensing: aim for reactor design reviews within two years and site licenses within one.
• Commits the UK to break from Russian nuclear fuel by end-2028, aligning supply chains with US policy.
• Expands joint work on fusion, including using AI to speed R&D and crafting pro-innovation rules.

Quantum

• Sets up a joint benchmarking taskforce—hardware, software, algorithms—with interoperable, “trusted” standards and tighter links between top labs and suppliers.

Business followed the flag: Nvidia, Google, Salesforce were name-checked, and Palantir said it would invest up to £1.5 billion in UK defense AI and make Britain its European defense hub.

Ukraine: Both leaders vented at Vladimir Putin. Starmer said the Kremlin’s recent barrages and drone incursions into Polish airspace show Putin “is not someone who wants peace,” pushing for more pressure. Trump called the war “one of the easiest” to solve “because of my relationship with President Putin” then added, “he’s really let me down,” without detailing new levers. His main swing: urging Europe to cut Russian oil; Starmer called that “a challenge” but agreed some countries are still too reliant.

Gaza: A rare public split. Trump said he disagrees with London’s move toward recognizing a Palestinian state. Starmer called conditions in Gaza “intolerable,” said hostages must be freed, and framed recognition as part of a broader road map to peace. Trump zeroed in on an immediate demand:

“We have to have the hostages back right now.”

Why this pact matters (and where it can snag)

• Standards power is soft power. Aligning AI testing and quantum benchmarks lets Washington and London shape the rules other democracies (and their regulators) will inherit.
• Energy security is strategy. Fast-tracking nuclear licensing and ditching Russian fuel by 2028 turns policy into supply chains—if regulators truly hit those timetables.
• Health outcomes as deliverables. An AI-for-Science pipeline focused on cancer and chronic disease is a tangible way to prove the tech pact isn’t just press-release gloss.

The frictions:

• Europe’s oil reality may blunt Trump’s price-pressure theory on Russia.
• Gaza recognition politics could complicate wider Western unity—even as both sides say they want a cease-fire, aid in, and hostages out.
• Execution risk is real: accelerated nuclear approvals are only credible if staffing, safety cases, and public consent keep pace.

After Windsor pageantry—banquet, big-name CEOs (Tim Cook, Jensen Huang, Sam Altman), Red Devils parachute display—the Chequers session was the “deliverables day.” The message: the special relationship still prints deals and standards, not just photo ops.

For now, the tech pact gives the alliance a 21st-century backbone. Whether the politics of two wars—and two leaders’ different instincts—let it flex is the next big test.

ABC News, NBC News, the White House, and the New York Times contributed to this report.