Burnham set to meet Trump next week in first face-to-face since becoming PM
The Prime Minister has so far only spoken to the US president remotely about Ukraine, the Middle East conflict and North Sea drilling.
Andy Burnham is set to meet Donald Trump at a summit in New York next week in his first in-person meeting with the US President since entering Number 10.
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The meeting is expected to take place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September, The Times reports.
Downing Street had previously suggested the face-to-face meeting was not a certainty due to schedule clashes, but it is now reportedly expected to go ahead.
It marks a major diplomatic test for the Prime Minister, who has so far only spoken to the US president remotely.
The pair have held two phone calls since Mr Burnham became PM in June, the first just hours after he entered Downing Street.
Last week, the pair agreed on the need to “continue working towards a ceasefire that prevented more loss of life” in Ukraine during another phone call.
Read more: Trump demands countries 'reimburse' US for securing Strait of Hormuz
The pair also discussed the Middle East and the Prime Minister set out the UK’s commitment to working towards peace and security in the region, “stressing the importance of the two-state solution, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and ensuring that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon,” a Downing Street spokesperson said.
The leaders are likely to discuss the Ukraine and Iran conflicts again when they meet in person.
It comes as the US President this week threatened that "countries of the world" that didn't help in his war with Iran will "reimburse" the US.
President Trump has been vocal about his criticisms of other countries that he claims have not sufficiently supported the United States in their war with Iran.
The conflict became a point of contention between Mr Trump and former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, although Mr Trump is yet to directly attack Mr Burnham on his approach to the conflict.
In fact, he has previously insisted he has a “good relationship” with Mr Burnham. However, he has hit out at the PM for his stance on issues including immigration and North Sea drilling.
Asked about Mr Burnham last month, Mr Trump said: “I think we’re going to have a very good relationship. We’ll see. I’m not going to tell him how to run his country.
“But I can tell you, immigration is an incredible problem for Europe. You’re allowing people in that, in many cases, are not going to help you. I’m going to be nice. They’re not going to help you.”
He added: “It’s very sad when I see what’s happening to Europe. It’s very sad to me, but they have a problem with immigration.
“They have a problem with energy. They have windmills all over the place. Windmills, you lose your shirt.
“Any country with windmills is a loser. Okay, you just have to look. If they have windmills, they’re a loser because you lose money with windmills.”
In his recent visit to Ireland Mr Trump called Mr Burnham a “very nice guy” but said “he tends to be on the liberal side, unfortunately”.
It came as Mr Trump made the contentious claim that Irish unification would be “fantastic” - while Downing Street said the Prime Minister’s opposition to a united Ireland remains unchanged.
Mr Trump also risked sparking tensions with Britain when he expressed doubts over whether the UK will be able to defend the Falklands from Argentina in the same way that it did in 1982.
“I don’t know if [the UK is] going to be willing to travel that far,” said the president. “That is very far away. You’re talking about weeks by boat. I don’t know.”
“They have a little problem with immigration. They have a little problem with energy and then have some other problems they have to take care of,” said the president.
Tensions were reignited over the Falklands when Argentinian President Javier Milei placed sanctions on companies exploring for oil around the islands, known as Las Malvinas in Argentina.
But in the Commons, Mr Burnham said the UK would be “relentless” in defending the Falkland Islanders’ right to be British.
Speaking to Gary Linekar in July, Mr Burnham said his relationship with Mr Trump will be about “respecting the office, the relationship, the UK-US relationship”
“Where you disagree, do it. But do it in a way that is kind of meeting him where he’s at.” “It’s about being yourself,” he said.