Fresh from his first meeting as British prime minister with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L), Andy Burnham said Monday he would use an upcoming meeting of the United Nation's General Assembly to try to get other world leaders share more of their anti-ballistic missile interceptors with Ukraine. Photo by Stringer/EPA
Aug. 25 (UPI) -- British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he would likely attend a meeting of the U.N. General Assembly in New York in September to join other European leaders to try to persuade U.S. President Donald Trump to supply Ukraine with Patriot air defense missiles.
Burnham brought forward what will be his first trip states-side since taking over as prime minister from Keir Starmer in July after visiting Kyiv on Monday where he said Britain would allow Ukraine to build Storm Shadow cruise missiles in Ukraine and do everything he could to bolster the country's air defenses.
"I've not fully confirmed the details yet but it's likely I will go, particularly after today's discussion. Leaving today, I'm quite clear what I need to do in the next few weeks," said Burnham.
Traveling to the annual UNGA meeting would allow to him to meet face-to-face on the sidelines with a bunch of world leaders he's never previously met all in place, including the prospect of a meeting with Trump.
