Burnham Challenges Russia at UN as Trump Raises Fresh Concerns Over Chagos Deal

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has used his first address to the United Nations General Assembly to announce plans for a new centre aimed at tackling hostile information attacks, while also warning that artificial intelligence could increase the threat posed by disinformation. Burnham made the announcement during his visit to New York, shortly after holding his first face to face meeting with US President Donald Trump.

The proposed National Centre for Information Defence will work to detect, identify and disrupt hostile state information attacks. Burnham specifically criticised Russia, accusing Moscow of running disinformation campaigns and claiming that the Kremlin spends around £1.3 billion a year on manipulating information. He also warned that the rapid development of artificial intelligence could make disinformation and cyberattacks more powerful.

As part of the government’s wider plans, Burnham announced that the UK and US are developing a new AI defence partnership. He said Britain would put AI at the centre of its G20 presidency next year and called for countries to work together on global standards to make sure the technology develops safely.

During his speech, Burnham also addressed several international issues, including the war in Ukraine, the Falkland Islands and the conflict involving Israel, Gaza and the West Bank. On Ukraine, he said Britain would continue to support the country and backed calls for meaningful negotiations involving Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Burnham also defended the UK’s position on Israel and Gaza, condemning the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, while saying the attacks did not justify the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza or the West Bank. He called for greater humanitarian assistance and said the UK wanted Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side in peace and security. Away from the UN chamber, Burnham held his first in-person meeting with Trump. The two leaders discussed immigration, trade, the Falkland Islands, Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East.

Trump described the relationship between the UK and US under Burnham as being stronger than it was under the previous prime minister and spoke positively about his meeting with the British leader. However, the meeting also exposed a major disagreement over the Chagos Islands. Trump said he does not support the UK’s proposed agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while allowing the UK and US to retain control of the strategically important Diego Garcia military base through a long-term lease.

The UK’s Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has since said the government will have to reconsider the details of the agreement because American support is important to the arrangement. Under the proposed deal, sovereignty of the Chagos Islands would be transferred to Mauritius, while the UK would lease Diego Garcia for 99 years, with the possibility of extending the arrangement for another 40 years. The issue is particularly sensitive because Diego Garcia is considered strategically important to UK and US military operations across the Indian Ocean, Middle East, Indo Pacific and Africa.

Burnham’s trip to New York also included meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. With the UN visit now over, attention is likely to remain on whether Burnham’s discussions with Trump can translate into progress on issues including AI, Ukraine, security cooperation and the disputed Chagos agreement.