“This war has placed a heavy burden on the Egyptian people, not only on your neighbors in Israel and Gaza,” Trump said. Trump said he and his team understood the Nile’s “profound importance” to Egypt and its people, and expressed his desire to help achieve an outcome that would secure the long-term water needs of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia. “The United States affirms that no country in this region should unilaterally control the precious resources of the Nile River and harm its neighbors in the process,” he said. Trump added that with appropriate technical expertise, fair and transparent negotiations, and a strong U.S. role in monitoring and coordination, a durable agreement serving all Nile Basin countries could be reached. “I sincerely hope that this fully understandable dispute over the Renaissance Dam does not lead to a major military conflict between Egypt and Ethiopia,” Trump said.

Source: Egypt Independent January 17, 2026 11:56 UTC