US President Donald Trump said he had discussed the exploitation of oil fields in the North Sea with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham. The conversation between the two took place by phone.
“They are starting to extract oil in the North Sea“, Trump told reporters at the White House. He added that he has been pressuring Britain to increase production for two years and said: “Andy will make it happen“.
Approval for “Jackdaw“
Great Britain has approved the development of the “Jackdaw“ gas field in the North Sea. The decision ended years of legal and political wrangling, but does not mean the green light has been given for the larger Rosebank oil field.
The British Prime Minister's Office said that Trump and Burnham agreed that approval for Jackdaw would bring "significant benefits" to the UK. They also welcomed continued cooperation between British and American companies, particularly in the field of nuclear energy.
Jackdaw is a gas field, not an oil field. It is located in the central North Sea, about 240 kilometers east of Aberdeen. British authorities have not yet made a decision on “Rosebank“, which is located west of the Shetland Islands and contains oil and gas.
Falklands Islands and Ukraine
During the conversation, Burnham also raised the topic of oil exploration near the Falklands. The territory is a self-governing British overseas possession, whose sovereignty has long been disputed by Argentina.
According to the British Prime Minister's Office, Burnham spoke about the economic consequences for Britain and the United States of Argentina's actions aimed at stopping drilling. He again stressed the importance of respecting the right of the islanders to develop their natural resources.
Ukraine was also among the topics, although Trump described the discussion of the conflicts in Ukraine and Iran as “very cursory”. Burnham stressed that Kiev must have full access to the Starlink satellite internet system to continue defending itself against Russian aggression.
The British Prime Minister welcomed Trump's efforts to engage Russian President Vladimir Putin in talks. The two leaders agreed to work with international partners to end the bloodshed.
The conversation also touched on the situation in the Middle East. Burnham confirmed Britain's support for Saudi Arabia amid attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels.