Defence secretary Wes Streeting has declined to say whether he trusts US president Donald Trump, telling Sky News' Sir Trevor Phillips that he is still forming his views less than a week into the role. Despite this, he argued that Trump's pressure on Europe to take greater responsibility for its own defence would ultimately be viewed favourably by history, saying it had shaken European nations out of complacency and over-reliance on the United States.

Streeting said he trusted the United States even if he could not yet judge Trump personally, and stressed that the US-UK alliance remained unmatched despite occasional disagreement over Trump's rhetoric and methods. He also revealed details of his first call with US defence secretary Pete Hegseth, confirming the UK would not support offensive action against Iran but would cooperate on preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Separately, Streeting said he was appointed to the defence brief by Andy Burnham due to his record as a reforming health secretary, and suggested that with John Healey now chancellor, defence spending would rise following a reported £13bn shortfall and £4.7bn black hole in the previous Defence Improvement Plan.