Trump slams Chagos deal in first meeting with U.K.’s Burnham
Tuesday's meeting represented the biggest diplomatic test yet for Burnham, Britain's sixth prime minister in a decade.
U.S. President Donald Trump harshly criticized a U.K. agreement concerning the Chagos Islands during his inaugural face-to-face meeting with Prime Minister Andy Burnham, inflicting a setback on the British leader in a generally cordial encounter. Despite Trump's compliments on Tuesday, describing Burnham as a "natural business person" he could collaborate with, the remarks underscored the formidable task the Labour leader confronts in establishing a seamless relationship with the U.S. president.
"I don’t support it. I think it’s terrible. It was a terrible deal," Trump declared to reporters during a gathering off the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York. "Somebody has ownership that never showed up before after decades and centuries. I think it’s ridiculous. No, we were talking about that, and it’s strategically very important."
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