US President Donald Trump said in an interview with the BBC that the upcoming state visit of King Charles and Queen Camilla next week could “definitely” help improve relations between the two countries.

“Definitely. He’s amazing. He’s a fantastic man. Absolutely, the answer is yes. I know him well; I’ve known him for many years. He is a brave man, and a great man,” Trump said about the British monarch.

The US president also spoke about his relationship with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, saying it could only be restored if he changes his approach to immigration.

“If he opens up the North Sea and if his immigration policy becomes tough, which it isn’t now, he can recover, but if he doesn’t do that, I don’t think he has a chance,” Trump said.

He also criticized the UK government and other allies over their response to the war in Iran. Trump said he was “not satisfied” with the level of support provided by Britain, while Keir Starmer has repeatedly stated that the country will not be drawn into a “wider war.”

When asked why he needed allies such as the UK for the operation, the US president said: “I didn’t need them at all, but they had to be there. Obviously, I didn’t need them. We destroyed the Iranian military. I didn’t need anyone. I wanted to see whether they would participate.”

He added that his request was more of a test.