US President Donald Trump met with UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham at the UN General Assembly in New York, describing their relationship as improved compared to ties under the previous administration. Trump praised Burnham as a “natural businessperson” and suggested he would be a “great” prime minister. Burnham attended the talks alongside Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell, with both sides characterizing the meeting as productive.
Despite positive rhetoric, significant policy disagreements surfaced during the summit. Burnham indicated he would push for international de-escalation in the Iran conflict, citing economic pressures on the UK from rising energy prices. Trump, however, doubled down on his hardline Iran strategy, repeating threats to “annihilate” the country and asserting that global oil prices would decline once the conflict ends. Trump suggested Iran could reach a deal following US midterm elections in November.
Another point of friction emerged over artificial intelligence regulation. Burnham indicated plans to advocate for “a single set of global principles and standards” to govern AI development, positioning the UK as an international mediator on the issue ahead of its G20 presidency. Trump, by contrast, rejected what he termed “globalist” regulatory schemes for AI, stating the US would “encourage” the technology rather than restrict it.
Trump was also critical of the UK’s agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while maintaining a lease on the military base Diego Garcia, calling the arrangement “terrible” and “ridiculous.” He suggested Burnham might reconsider the deal, to which the prime minister responded affirmatively.
UK officials expressed relief that the meeting proceeded without major incidents, as Trump had previously criticized Burnham using derogatory language. Trump avoided direct commentary on certain UK positions, including its decision to ban trade with West Bank settlements, while agreeing to raise the case of imprisoned Hong Kong dissident Jimmy Lai in subsequent talks with China.
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