Andy Burnham has announced his first meeting with Donald Trump, and it could go either way. The Prime Minister will travel to New York in September to attend the UN General Assembly, hoping to fit in a conversation with the US President, with the war in Ukraine at the top of the agenda.
Contrasting approaches to Ukraine
Donald Trump has sent Volodymyr Zelensky a glowing tribute to mark the 35th anniversary of Ukrainian independence. The US President said: “I congratulate you and the citizens of Ukraine on your Independence Day ... with courageous, brave, and talented people, you have built a great country.”
It’s a stark contrast with Mr Trump’s approach when the two leaders met in the White House in February 2025. Egged on by his vice-president, JD Vance, Mr Trump accused his guest of “gambling with World War Three” and declared: “You don’t have the cards”.
Burnham's pledge of support
Mr Burnham has followed in the footsteps of predecessor Sir Keir Starmer by pledging “steadfast” support for Ukraine’s efforts to defeat Russia’s invasion. But while the UK has played its part, Ukraine needs help from the US to continue fighting. And nobody’s quite sure how Mr Trump feels about that.
In fact, it’s difficult to pin the mercurial president down to anything. He once praised Keir Starmer for doing a “very good job”, only to proclaim “this is not Winston Churchill we’re dealing with” when the UK failed to back his war against Iran.
Unpredictable president
He portrayed himself as a peacemaker, once claiming to have “ended eight wars in nine months”, only to launch a conflict in the Gulf that continues to damage the global economy. And he launched an outlandish bid to turn Canada into a US state, a prospect so fantastical that nobody is quite sure whether it’s a bizarre joke.
We know, however, that Mr Trump feels Europe (including the UK) has taken advantage of US generosity for too long, allowing American taxpayers to fund their defence while showering their own citizens with lavish welfare payments. And Mr Vance, in particular, believes European civilisation faces erasure due to liberal immigration policies, a development he regards as a threat to US interests.
It means the White House feels entitled to support right-wing European politicians, who support strong borders, and attack those on the left. At the same time, the President appears convinced that Mr Burnham is about to announce a massive expansion of North Sea oil drilling, which he heartily supports.
Meeting could go either way
So the meeting could go either way. It might be handshakes and smiles, with some fine words about what a good job the new Prime Minister is doing, or it could be another showdown, with more snide comments about Winston Churchill, or worse. There’s no way of knowing which Mr Trump will turn up. Andy Burnham will need to be ready for triumph - or disaster.
