America first but with Britain at our side - the bond between our two countries is unbreakable, writes US Ambassador Warren Stephens

President Trump has stated and it is written into our National Security Strategy – that we want the United Kingdom to be the strongest and most successful ally it can be.

Your prosperity supports our prosperity, and our prosperity supports yours. It’s why this relationship has been mutually beneficial for so many decades.

Of course, there is always commentary around the special relationship, its closeness and its future, and we have seen some of this recently:

That we are moving apart rather than coming together.

That statements from myself and other US officials, whether on energy or freedom of speech, are intended as criticism rather than constructive feedback.

I want to state unequivocally that those narratives are wrong.

Yes, we have been vocal – but it is because we want to collaborate with the UK and like-minded partners to protect our shared interests and promote our common values.

As Secretary Rubio has said, and I have reiterated, “America First” does not mean “America alone.” And in that area, we truly have no better or closer ally than the United Kingdom.

It’s why we are collaborating through the AUKUS alliance, through NATO, and through our bilateral trade, security and law enforcement partnerships.

It is why President Trump has taken action domestically to unleash prosperity and shore up security, so both our countries can benefit from a strong and secure United States.

And yes, it’s why we are being honest about the areas we see for closer collaboration, for supporting the UK’s prosperity, and for defending the values we’ve shared for centuries.

If anything, we are surprised that others have not been having these conversations. The mark of a true friend is to deliver hard truths sometimes, before working through disagreements calmly and respectfully.

And it is in that spirit of friendship we raise these issues.

So, when US businesses repeatedly raise the issue of high energy costs with me, in discussions about their investments in the UK, I see it as my duty – as a vested partner in the UK and a custodian of this relationship to make sure those concerns are conveyed to the decision-makers and officials able to affect change.

It’s also why I am calling for our countries to keep driving progress on the historic commitments made last year.

The UK showed significant leadership in 2025 by becoming the first country to sign a trade deal with the Trump administration, bringing our countries closer together by reducing or removing tariffs and non-tariff barriers on key industries.

The UK was also one of the first NATO allies to commit to increase its defence spending to five per cent of GDP.

And later in the year, we had the US-UK pharma deal, tackling the issue of artificially low medicine prices between our countries.

Those were encouraging commitments; but committing is the easy part. Delivering is much harder.

As they say, “the devil is in the details” and US businesses are waiting to see those concrete proposals before making their spending decisions.

So now, we must do the detailed work needed to make sure our businesses, agencies, and defence partners benefit from these landmark agreements. Because it is the implementation that will determine their success.

I will reiterate that President Trump and I want our countries to keep growing closer together: to find more areas we can work together to further benefit both our countries.

Because while those commitments I mentioned are important, they are just the tip of the iceberg for our special relationship. Our true strength lies below the surface, in the deep, functional integration of our countries. It is a collaboration that has been perfected over decades and gives us stability in a changing world.

As President Trump put it in Windsor Castle, our partnership is “unbreakable.”

The integration is clear at all levels. We have the integration of our security apparatus. The U.S. and UK’s cooperation in the intelligence space is well known. Our cooperation has helped us navigate decades of complex world events. Even in the past year, it has helped us respond to tensions in the Middle East, in India and Pakistan, and in North Africa.

It has also helped keep our societies running smoothly.

You may not know this, but it was communication between UK Counterterror police, Wembley Arena, and our Embassy security team that enabled the last UK leg of the Taylor Swift Eras tour to go ahead, after a terrorist threat in Vienna, Austria, led to the cancellation of her concerts there.

Our experts got together to assess the threat, look at it from all angles, before determining the UK concerts could go ahead allowing over a million fans to attend and, importantly, contributing over a billion pounds to the UK economy.

So if you enjoyed a Taylor Swift concert last time she came to the UK, you have the special relationship to thank!

But I think that really shows the impact of this partnership and of course, there are countless more examples that have saved lives and averted crises that we cannot talk about.

Beyond intelligence cooperation, our border agencies, law enforcement, and military services are speaking regularly.

We recently executed a joint operation to intercept a Russian shadow vessel in the North Sea, and just last week our air forces began joint drills in Nevada alongside our Australian colleagues.

Military security, border security, and economic security will remain priorities for the United States – and in those efforts, we have no more effective partner than the United Kingdom.

But you can also look at our economic integration.

The most recent statistics show bilateral trade between the United States and United Kingdom totaled $340 billion last year – up eight per cent over the previous year – while bilateral investment stocks also increased from $1.6 trillion to $1.8 trillion.

Few international partnerships deal in billions and trillions but we do. And those volumes have only increased despite a pandemic, political change in both our countries, and various conflicts around the world.

Those numbers are a vote of confidence in our partnership. Because as any business leader knows, companies don’t put their money somewhere unless they are confident of the returns. Or at least, as confident as they can be.

So for those numbers to keep increasing, year on year, really shows the dynamism and depth of this relationship.

And finally, our societies are deeply integrated.

This extends from our lawyers, regulators, and policymakers working to align our systems – where thankfully we share a common foundation, a common language (for the most part!), and a shared belief in free markets and innovation.

To our research institutions and universities, which saw around five per cent growth in students crossing the Atlantic each way last academic year.

To the millions of tourists who move between our countries every year, even as we look to the excitement of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the World Cup in June, and the Olympics in 2028.

And of course, there are the deep family ties that bind British and American people on a personal level like the rich Scottish heritage both President Trump and my wife, Harriet, are proud to lay claim to.

Those connections from our businesses to our leaders demonstrate how unbreakable this relationship is.

Our societies are so integrated, on such a functional level, that while events and people can and do have an impact, they do not fundamentally alter the foundation of our partnership.

We collaborate where our interests align – while being honest with each other where our views diverge to ensure this special relationship, which has proven to be so beneficial for so long, continues to keep our countries safe and prosperous in a complex world.

We are more invested in it than ever.

We want the UK to succeed, and we want our collaboration to deepen and expand.

Because that collaboration – between our governments, security agencies, armed forces, law enforcement, businesses, regulators, universities, and more – is one of the greatest assets we both have.

It has proven itself over decades. And it must be allowed to continue on the basis of trust, openness, and friendship.

I am proud to represent our special relationship here in London and welcome my co-custodian in Washington, Sir Christian Turner.

We are committed to this partnership, and we are here to stay.

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Warren Stephens is the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom.

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