Burnham likely to attend UN General Assembly in New York after Kyiv talks on Ukraine missiles

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he is likely to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York next month, in what would be his first visit to the United States since taking office. The trip is not yet fully confirmed, and Downing Street said the plans remain uncertain. Burnham made the comments after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, where he said the discussion had clarified what he needs to do in the coming weeks.

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Burnham told Bloomberg that he was looking forward to going to New York in September. He said he had not fully confirmed the details, but that it was likely he would go, particularly after the talks in Kyiv. The annual General Assembly is scheduled for 22 to 28 September and brings together dozens of world leaders.

Burnham's attendance could also create an opportunity for a possible face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump, although no such meeting has been confirmed. The visit would come at a sensitive moment for Ukraine, which is pressing allies for more US-made Patriot missiles as it faces continued Russian bombardment. Burnham used his meeting with Zelenskyy to say there would be no change in the UK's steadfast support for Kyiv.

He also urged Ukraine's allies to send more Patriot missiles, and he co-chaired his first coalition of the willing meeting, where he said the group was doing work on support for Ukraine. The comments suggest the new prime minister is using his early foreign policy agenda to reinforce backing for Kyiv. Burnham's Kyiv trip was his first official overseas visit since becoming prime minister in July.

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During the visit on Monday, he laid a wreath for Ukraine's Independence Day alongside other European leaders, including European Council President António Costa. He also announced that the UK government would allow the European defence company MBDA to declassify information about UK-made components of the Anglo-French Storm Shadow/Scalp missiles, in a move intended to help Ukraine build its own version. That decision underlines the continuing military and industrial dimension of Western support for Ukraine.

The possible New York trip also matters domestically because of the timing. The General Assembly overlaps with Labour's annual conference in Liverpool, which begins on 27 September, creating a logistical challenge for the prime minister. Burnham, whose background has been mainly domestic policy, has had to develop a foreign policy approach quickly since entering No 10, and his early moves have broadly tracked the line previously associated with Keir Starmer.

The New York gathering would give him a chance to meet several world leaders in one place, even if bilateral meetings are usually brief. What remains unclear is whether Burnham will finalise the trip and whether any bilateral meetings will be arranged around it. It is also not known whether the discussions in Kyiv will lead to any immediate change in missile supplies or wider support for Ukraine.

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