UK PM Burnham Meets Trump at UN Assembly to Press Ukraine Patriot Missiles, AI Policy

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham met US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Sept. 22, 2026, seeking Patriot air-defense missiles for Ukraine ahead of winter and common ground on AI regulation, according to Bloomberg. Burnham, who took office in June, said the UK is the fastest-growing G7 economy and pledged an "upbeat message" to counter perceptions of national decline. He also signaled willingness to commit British forces to Saudi-led operations against Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen. The agenda included his first meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, whose "Made-in-Europe" procurement policy Burnham criticized for creating "collateral damage" for the UK. Trump had previously dismissed Burnham as "mayor of a town."