Prime Minister Andy Burnham has indicated that he is likely to travel to New York next month to attend the United Nations General Assembly, potentially marking his first official visit to the United States since taking office in July.
The trip could also provide Burnham with an opportunity to meet US President Donald Trump in person for the first time, The Guardian reported.
Speaking to Bloomberg during his visit to Kyiv, Burnham said he was looking forward to travelling in September, although officials have yet to finalise his schedule. Downing Street also stressed that the plans had not been confirmed.
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The UN General Assembly will take place from September 22 to 28, creating a potential clash with Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool, which opens on September 27.
However, the international gathering would give Burnham the opportunity to hold talks with several world leaders within a short period.
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Since entering No 10, Burnham has had to strengthen his international profile and establish relationships with foreign leaders, despite having built much of his political career around domestic issues.
His foreign policy stance so far has largely followed that of his predecessor, Keir Starmer.
The possible New York trip follows Burnham’s first official overseas visit to Kyiv on Monday, where he joined European Council President António Costa and other European leaders to mark Ukraine’s Independence Day.
During talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Burnham reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to supporting Ukraine against Russia’s invasion.
He also announced that the UK would allow European defence company MBDA to declassify information about British-made components used in the Storm Shadow/SCALP cruise missiles.
The move is intended to help Ukraine develop its own version of the weapon.
Burnham also co-chaired his first meeting of the ‘coalition of the willing’, where he urged allies to provide Ukraine with more Patriot air defence systems as Russian attacks continue.
Zelenskyy has repeatedly appealed to the US for more interceptor missiles as Ukraine’s supplies dwindle.
The shortage has worsened after the US redirected some missile supplies to the Middle East amid its ongoing conflict with Iran.
Burnham said he remained confident that international negotiations could resolve the shortage, despite the complexity of securing additional supplies from several countries.
READ MORE: UK to help Ukraine produce long-range missiles as Burnham visits Kyiv
Meanwhile, Russia has stepped up its ballistic missile attacks on Ukraine, killing and injuring dozens of people, while Moscow has threatened unspecified retaliation over what it sees as Britain’s growing involvement in the conflict.
