Reagan-Thatcher alliance set precedent for Trump-Starmer U.S.-UK ties

The term “special relationship” has been used to describe Partnership between the United States and the United Kingdom Since World War II in the face of Nazi Germany, but many claim that it was strengthened during the Cold War under the close alliance between President Ronald Reagan and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

This week, diplomats, government officials and former and current foreign policy advisers gathered in London to mark what would have been Thatcher’s centenary birthday, and to reflect on her partnership and friendship with the late US president.

the ReaganThatcher’s coalition set a precedent that transcended political parties and national leaders, even during periods when the United States and the United Kingdom faced undeniable differences.

Experts gather to discuss how the relationship between British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and President Ronald Reagan has strengthened the relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States on October 17, 2025 in London. (Bateman via Getty Images)

Thatcher’s Centenary: Lessons in Civility, Power, and Enduring Alliances

“They were more or less political friends. This was not a forced marriage,” Fred Ryan, chairman of the board of trustees of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, told Fox News Digital.

Their relationship was so successful, Ryan explained, in part because they formed a relationship before either became head of state, and they shared a mutual dedication to revitalizing their economies and fighting communism.

“I think the personal relationship made it more than just transactional — it made it a kind of extraordinary relationship of trust in terms of what is done today,” said Ryan, who also served as Reagan’s chief of staff starting in the late 1980s. “Moving forward, I think it’s a great example.”

Although the Reagan-Thatcher alliance is known for its pressure on the Soviet Union, fervent anti-communist principles, and ultimately ending the Cold War, experts argued this week in London that their partnership created an enduring commitment that future leaders will adhere to to ensure the continued partnership between the US and the UK.

At the closing ceremony of the Geneva Summit, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and US President Ronald Reagan face each other, on November 21, 1985 in Geneva, Switzerland. (Bateman via Getty Images)

Trump meets with UK Prime Minister Starmer following the trade deal with the European Union

Although US-UK relations have not always gone entirely smoothly, such as when Conservatives objected to the removal of a bust of Winston Churchill instead of a bust of Martin Luther King Jr., first during the Obama administration, and then under President Joe Biden. – Both moves that the president backed away from Donald Trump – Concerns about the “special relationship” mounted after his election earlier this year. The actions he took upon his return to the White House, including steep tariffs and a critical tone toward NATO, worried some that he was favoring American isolationism.

But British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Trump did Great efforts To keep the relationship positive.

Trump has repeatedly pointed this out Mother’s Scottish roots As one of the reasons he admires the United Kingdom, Ryan has argued that the US-UK partnership is also rooted not only in their shared history, but is “built into the DNA” of both countries, dating back to the British colonies before the American Revolution.

“[Both have] “I’ve given extra weight to the special relationship, and that seems to be something they’re working on,” Ryan said. “People have seen Keir Starmer [and] Donald Trump has managed to build a good relationship. “He is an example for others to try and emulate.”

Could Trump’s meeting with Putin be the next Reagan-Gorbachev moment?

The relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom is a one-off Again under the microscopeNot just because of how different Trump and Starmer are politically, but because both countries face the greatest threat to the West since the Cold War, once again emanating from Moscow.

President Donald Trump meets with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, and his wife Victoria Starmer at Trump Turnberry Golf Club on Monday, July 28, 2025, in Turnberry, Scotland. (Christopher Furlong/Pool Photo via AP)

Both Thatcher and Reagan were able to do this Form a strong relationship With the former and last leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, although the post-Cold War peace lasted less than the protracted geopolitical conflict following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Trump has raised eyebrows with his repeated attempts to engage diplomatically with Putin despite the lack of any action from the United States. Head of the Kremlin To end his war ambitions.

Security experts He doubted Whether Putin is playing Trump by issuing platitudes and agreeing to meet with Trump in an offer that ostensibly satisfies the president’s desire to end the war, despite taking no concrete steps to actually do so remains to be seen.

Trump and Putin agreed on Thursday again to meet in person after doing so for the first time in August in what were described as “very productive” talks.

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But what was accomplished from the meeting remains unclear, as Russia increased its aerial bombardment of Ukraine rather than halting military operations after the talks.

Although Starmer praised Trump’s first attempt to meet Putin, he has not yet commented publicly on the second meeting announced on Thursday, and Fox News Digital was unable to immediately reach Number 10 for comment.

Ryan pointed out that there are many differences in the threat facing the United States and the United Kingdom this time from Russia, but he said: “I believe that both sides recognize the threat that Putin poses, and we hope, through this close relationship that binds us, that we will be united and allied in confronting him.”