United States Vice President JD Vance announced that the US is intensifying efforts to finalize a trade agreement with the United Kingdom. Speaking in an interview with UpHerd published Tuesday, Vance said that Washington is “working very hard” alongside UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government to reach a mutually beneficial deal.

“The President [Donald Trump] really loves the UK. He loved the Queen. He admires and loves the King. It is a very important relationship. And he's a businessman and has a number of important business relationships in [Britain],” Vance said. “I think there's a good chance that we'll come to a great agreement that's in the best interest of both countries.”

Vance’s comments come amid a renewed push from both sides to expand transatlantic economic cooperation following political transitions in the UK and Trump’s re-election in the United States. Trade between the two nations remains a key focus for the current US administration, which has prioritized closer economic ties with allies.

On broader relations with Europe, Vance expressed a preference for greater European autonomy. “It's not good for Europe to be the permanent security vassal of the US,” he stated. He suggested that a more independent Europe would ultimately benefit both the continent and the United States.

Addressing tensions related to the Ukraine conflict, Vance criticized recent remarks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who alleged that the US was siding with Russia. Vance called such comments “certainly not productive,” and reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to a constructive and balanced foreign policy approach.

The trade negotiations with the UK, along with evolving dynamics in transatlantic and global partnerships, remain central to the Trump administration’s international strategy as it seeks to reassert American leadership through strategic bilateral deals and recalibrated alliances.