At their first meeting during the UN General Assembly in New York on September 22, 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump praised new UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham as a "natural business person," despite previous tensions over issues like West Asia and Iran. However, Trump criticized Britain's decision to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius, calling it “a terrible deal” for its strategic military base, Diego Garcia. The meeting lasted longer than expected, indicating potential warming of trans-Atlantic relations despite lingering disagreements.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-23,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Wes Streeting, Britain’s defence secretary, announced that annual payments worth at least £120 million to Mauritius are on hold as the government reconsiders an agreement over the Chagos Islands. This decision came after Donald Trump criticized the deal during a meeting with Prime Minister Andy Burnham at the UN General Assembly in New York. The original agreement would see the UK cede sovereignty of the territory to Mauritius and pay approximately £101 million annually to lease back a joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, which is strategically important due to its location in the Indian Ocean.
Streeting emphasized that the deal cannot proceed without US support, highlighting the need for cooperation with American allies to ensure the agreement safeguards the long-term future of the base at Diego Garcia. The defence secretary noted that previous efforts to adapt the deal have not succeeded, and current negotiations are focused on reaching an arrangement that both Mauritius and the US can accept.
Written for “Chagos Islands Deal” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 38 other(s) covering the same event.
Freshly in office, United Kingdom Prime Minister Andy Burnham got off to a strong start with U.S. President Donald Trump at their first meeting, with the President brushing aside differences over West Asia and calling the British leader “a natural business person”.
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President → get → leader
The two men met for more than the scheduled 30 minutes on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday (September 22, 2026), where Mr. Burnham used his inaugural speech at the global gathering to warn of the dangers posed by unconstrained artificial intelligence and socially corrosive disinformation.
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Burnham → meet → intelligence
It's a baptism of fire for the neophyte leader, who has gone from mayor of the northwest England city of Manchester to leader of a G7 country in a matter of weeks.
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who → go → weeks
But despite U.K. nerves about how the meeting with Mr. Trump would go, as they sat in front of U.K. and U.S. flags, Mr. Trump declared that trans-Atlantic relations were “more up than they were with your last Prime Minister”.
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they → go → Minister
“Based on our relationship with the Prime Minister, Andy, I think we're doing very well," he said.
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he → base → Minister
U.K. officials know that the President can be fickle.
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President → know → ?
Mr. Trump initially warmed to Mr. Burnham's predecessor, Keir Starmer, before falling out over the UK's unwillingness to join the US-Israeli war on Iran.
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Trump → warm → Iran
But there was relief that Mr. Burnham emerged largely unscathed from his first meeting with a president who once dismissed him as “the mayor of a town".
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who → be → town
“We don't hold it against you,” Mr. Burnham said.
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Burnham → hold → you
On U.S.-U.K. differences
Mr. Burnham nodded at U.S.-U.K. differences, noting that Mr. Trump had been “good enough to listen to us" on issues including trade and the Falkland Islands.
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Trump → nod → trade
Mr. Trump has recently mused about the future of the British-controlled South Atlantic archipelago, which is also claimed by Argentina, which calls it the Malvinas.
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which → muse → it
The two nations fought a brief 1982 war over the islands.
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nations → fight → islands
But on one potential flashpoint, the U.K.'s decision to ban trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, Mr. Trump professed ignorance.
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Trump → ban → ignorance
Mr. Trump's harshest words were reserved for Britain's plan to hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius.
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words → reserve → Mauritius
The U.K. says the deal will preserve the future of a strategic U.S. military base on one of the islands, Diego Garcia.
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deal → say → islands
But ratification of an agreement stalled after the Trump administration withdrew its support.
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administration → stall → support
U.K. officials acknowledge the deal is now in limbo.
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deal → acknowledge → limbo
Mr. Trump called it “a terrible deal” over a “very important piece of real estate, militarily and strategically”.
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Trump → call → estate
“I think the Prime Minister is going to be looking at it,” he said.
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he → think → it
Mr. Burnham said Britain is working to come to an agreement, and “I'm confident we can find it working with our U.S. partners.”
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it → say → partners
Before the meeting, Mr. Burnham said he would raise with Mr. Trump ways to end the on-off war between the U.S. and Iran, which has choked off oil tankers moving through the Strait of Hormuz and sent global fuel prices soaring.
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prices → say → Hormuz
Houthi attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure are making the problem worse while rendering Mr. Burnham's pledge to ease cost of living pressure for British voters even harder.
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problem → make → voters
As he flew to New York for the annual gathering of world leaders, Mr. Burnham announced he had authorised limited military support for Saudi Arabia to repel attacks from Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
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he → fly → Yemen
A Royal Air Force plane will refuel Saudi jets engaged in “defensive” action to shoot down Houthi missiles, he said.
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he → refuel → missiles
Mr. Burnham also said he would urge Mr. Trump to step up U.S. support for Ukraine by providing air-defence missiles to Ukraine ahead of another winter of Russian attacks.
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he → say → attacks
It was unclear whether he made any progress on that front.
uncertain
he → make → front
The Aporia
