Burnham eyes Trump meeting to press for Ukraine missiles
Andy Burnham has said he could hold his first meeting with Donald Trump within weeks, with a visit to New York for the UN General Assembly next month looking likely. He plans to use the trip to press the US for greater support for Ukraine, particularly more interceptor missiles, as he seeks to establish his own working relationship with the US president following his appointment as prime minister.
The prospective visit, not yet confirmed by Downing Street, would be Burnham's first US trip as premier and comes after he made Ukraine his first foreign visit, meeting Volodymyr Zelensky and pledging "unwavering" UK support. Ukraine handed over battlefield data to Britain, the two sides signed a deal giving the UK's Ministry of Defence access to Ukraine's "Avengers" AI database, and Britain agreed to let defence firm MBDA share classified details on UK components for the Scalp long-range missile. Russia has intensified strikes amid Ukraine's missile shortages, killing at least 23 people in three days, while a Kremlin adviser suggested UK drone factories could face attack over the missile-sharing deal.
- Burnham likely to meet Trump in New York next month over UN summit
- Will lobby US for more Ukraine interceptor missiles amid Russian strikes
- UK and Ukraine sign data-sharing and Scalp missile component deals
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Andy Burnham became prime minister recently and is now working to build his own relationship with US President Donald Trump, having not yet met him in person. A trip to New York is likely next month for the UN General Assembly, which would be his first as premier, and he intends to use it to push Washington for more military support for Ukraine, particularly interceptor missiles used to shoot down incoming attacks.
This follows Burnham's first foreign visit as prime minister, to Ukraine, where he met President Volodymyr Zelensky and promised continued UK backing. Since then, Britain and Ukraine have deepened defence cooperation, including a deal giving the UK access to Ukrainian battlefield data and an agreement allowing the missile manufacturer MBDA to share classified information on UK-made components used in a long-range missile system.
The backdrop is Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, now well into its fourth year, with Moscow's forces continuing to launch missile and drone strikes as Ukraine faces shortages of the interceptors needed to defend against them. The UK's growing military assistance has drawn a warning from an adviser to the Kremlin, underlining the wider tensions around Western support for Ukraine.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Advocates of Burnham's approach argue that Russia's intensified strikes and Ukraine's missile shortages make urgent action a moral and strategic necessity, not optional generosity. Interceptor missiles are defensive tools that directly save civilian lives, and deepening intelligence and technology sharing with Kyiv strengthens the alliance's ability to deter further aggression. They see securing Trump's personal buy-in as shrewd statecraft, since sustained US support remains essential and a new prime minister building direct rapport with the president is the pragmatic way to keep Washington engaged rather than leaving Europe to shoulder the burden alone.
The case against
Sceptics counter that escalating military and technical entanglement carries real risks that deserve more caution, pointing to the Kremlin adviser's suggestion that UK drone factories could become targets as evidence the country is edging closer to direct confrontation. They worry that sharing classified details on missile components, even with a trusted partner, widens exposure if security is compromised, and question whether a new premier's early priorities should centre on high-profile foreign trips and defence pledges rather than pressing domestic concerns. There is also unease about tying UK strategy so closely to an unpredictable US administration, when outcomes from any Trump meeting are far from guaranteed.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Andy Burnham could hold first meeting with Donald Trump within weeks as he tees up New York trip – vowing to lobby US for more Ukraine support”.