Trump and Burnham pledge stronger UK-US ties at first New York meeting

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and US President Donald Trump met face to face for the first time on Tuesday, September 22, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Both leaders emphasized a desire for closer ties between the United Kingdom and the United States. Trump spoke favorably of Burnham and said relations with London were better than they had been under his predecessor, Keir Starmer. The meeting carries significance because it occurred at a time when the transatlantic relationship faces several points of tension, while Trump simultaneously held other high-profile talks in New York that shaped the broader diplomatic backdrop of the UN gathering.

According to multiple reports, Trump told reporters that relations with Britain were “more up” than they had been with Starmer. He described Burnham as a “natural businessperson,” saying he believed Burnham had “a lot of assets on his side” and would make a “great” prime minister. Burnham himself said afterward that the two had established a “good connection.” Topics discussed reportedly ranged from business matters, including Rolls-Royce, to energy policy and migration.

At the same time, it became clear that friction remains between the two governments. Trump criticized the so-called Chagos deal, an agreement to hand over the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius, and suggested he expected Burnham might reconsider or revise the arrangement. Reports differ on exactly how Trump framed this point and whether Burnham indicated any willingness to alter the deal; some outlets placed heavy emphasis on Trump’s comments, while others mentioned them only briefly. Mauritius’ perspective on the agreement is not addressed in the available reporting.

Burnham, for his part, raised the issue of the Falkland Islands with Trump. He said Britain would stand firm in the face of any potential claims to the territory. Speaking to reporters afterward, Burnham said the Falklands had been mentioned and that Trump had been “good enough to listen” on the issue. According to reports, Trump made no public comment on the Falklands question. Burnham’s remarks drew particular attention in South American media, reflecting regional interest given Argentina’s long-standing claim to the islands.

The Trump-Burnham meeting took place against the backdrop of several strained issues between London and Washington. These include disagreements over artificial intelligence regulation, the Chagos dispute mentioned above, and differences over Middle East policy, including the US-Israeli strike on Iran earlier this year. Despite these unresolved matters, both sides publicly struck a positive tone and emphasized the underlying strength of the bilateral relationship.

On the same day, Trump also met in New York with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Their roughly 40-minute talks reportedly covered a possible energy ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, as well as licenses to produce interceptor missiles for Patriot air defense systems. Zelensky said afterward that Kyiv was ready for any format of an energy ceasefire with Russia, but that there had been no discussion of Ukraine unilaterally halting its attacks on Russian oil refineries. Regarding the interceptor licenses, Zelensky said he had not heard a “no” from the American side. He also expressed hope that the war could be ended, and separately met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, discussing the counterproductive effects of lifting sanctions on certain Russian oligarchs.

In addition, Trump held a roughly 90-minute meeting with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on the same day. Reports indicate Trump subsequently invited Mamdani to visit the White House to see “how I work.” Details about the substance and context of this meeting remain unclear in the available sources.

Media coverage of the day’s events in New York varied by region and outlet: some reports focused primarily on the Trump-Burnham meeting and the Chagos and Falklands issues, while others concentrated more heavily on the Trump-Zelensky talks concerning the situation in Ukraine. Both sets of discussions took place on the same day on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, reflecting the breadth of the foreign policy agenda currently occupying the US administration.

It remains unclear what concrete consequences the Trump-Burnham talks will have for the Chagos agreement and the future direction of UK-US relations. Likewise, the eventual impact of the Trump-Zelensky discussions on the course of the war in Ukraine has yet to be determined.