Donald Trump said he can "do business" with UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham after their first face-to-face meeting at the UN General Assembly. The pair described their talks as positive, but Trump strongly criticised the UK's proposed Chagos Islands deal, calling it "terrible" and emphasising the strategic value of the Diego Garcia base. They also discussed the Falkland Islands and AI policy, where Burnham advocated global standards while Trump rejected globalist controls.
Trump: I Can 'Do Business' With Andy Burnham — But Calls Chagos Deal 'Terrible'
[Reuters]
US President Donald Trump said he believes he can "do business" with UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham after the two met in person for the first time on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Both leaders described their initial talks as positive, but Trump used the encounter to sharply criticise the UK's proposed agreement on the Chagos Islands.
Positive First Impressions
Following their bilateral meeting, Burnham and Trump appeared together before reporters. Burnham said the pair had "established a good connection" and had taken that relationship further in discussions covering trade, immigration and security. Trump complimented Burnham's approach, calling him "a natural businessperson" and saying, "he gets it, he understands what he has to do."
Asked by the BBC if Burnham was a man he could do business with, Trump replied: "Yeah I do, I think he's a natural businessperson... Yeah, I think so, he gets it, he understands what he has to do."
Chagos Islands: A Flashpoint
Trump was blunt about his opposition to the UK proposal to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius and lease back the joint UK–US military base on Diego Garcia. He described the deal as "terrible," stressing that Diego Garcia is "strategically very important," particularly for US operations linked to Iran.
The proposed arrangement would cede sovereignty to Mauritius while the UK would pay an average of £101 million ($136 million) per year to lease back the base. The agreement was paused in April after Trump withdrew his support. On Tuesday, Trump said he expected the prime minister to review the deal; Burnham replied, "Yep."
Falklands and Wider Security Concerns
The leaders also touched on the Falkland Islands, another sensitive sovereignty issue. Trump has previously suggested the US might reconsider its neutral stance or the extent of its support depending on UK defence spending, comments that have provoked concern in London. Relations between Trump and the previous UK prime minister, Sir Keir, had also been tested earlier in the year after a disagreement over the use of UK bases for strikes related to Iran.
AI and International Standards
Burnham used his UN trip to press for global principles on artificial intelligence. He met technology and business figures — including Apple executive chairman Tim Cook — and said he wants "a single set of global principles and standards that are very much about unlocking the full potential whilst guarding against the risks."
That stance contrasts with Trump’s UN address, where he said the US "totally rejects any attempt to construct a globalist scheme" to control AI, calling the technology "super intelligence" that the US will "encourage, not rein in."
Diplomacy With European Leaders
Burnham later met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and apologised for arriving about ten minutes late because his meeting with Trump overran; von der Leyen responded: "These things are understandable."
Sources: Reuters, BBC
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