December 27, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump has said the United States is not ready to follow Israel in recognising Somaliland, Somalia’s breakaway region, as an independent country.
Trump made the position known during a telephone interview with the New York Post on Friday.
“Everything is under study. We’ll study it,” Trump said.
“I study a lot of things and always make great decisions and they turn out to be correct.”
Questioning public awareness of the territory, the president added, “Does anyone know what Somaliland is, really?”
Reacting to Somaliland’s proposal to grant the United States access to a port on the strategically important Gulf of Aden, Trump played down its significance, saying, “Big deal.”
Israel on Friday became the first country to formally recognise Somaliland’s separation from Somalia, a move that has drawn international attention.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would brief Trump on the decision during a planned meeting scheduled for Monday.
Speaking during a video call with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi to mark the diplomatic development, Netanyahu said he would also inform Trump of Somaliland’s interest in joining the Abraham Accords.
Trump, however, stressed that he was not influenced by the proposal and said upcoming talks with Netanyahu would focus primarily on the situation in the Gaza Strip.
He added that discussions would prioritise the Gaza ceasefire brokered in October and ongoing reconstruction efforts being carried out under a United Nations-approved framework.
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