THERESA May mounted a determined defence of her love-in with Donald Trump after her offer to act as a bridge to the US was roundly rejected by EU leaders.
The PM stood by “opening a discussion” on the new US President at an EU summit in Malta last week, and urged everyone to be “patient” when dealing with the controversial with the Trump White House.
Mrs May was greeted with laughter from the opposition benches when she told MPs she had “opened a discussion on engaging the new Administration.”
EU leaders including Francois Hollande rejected Mrs May’s offer to forge better ties on behalf of the EU in Malta on Friday.
But sticking to her guns she told MPs that although “there are some areas where we disagree and we should be clear about those disagreements and about the values that underpin our response to the global challenges we face.”
She also claimed to have “argued at the Council that we should engage patiently and constructively with America as a friend and ally—an ally that has helped to guarantee the longest period of peace that Europe has ever known.”
Mrs May was pushed on whether she had stood up to the Mr Trump about Russian aggression and repeated her warning to “engage but beware”, made during her recent US visit.
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4“I think the discussions I have had so far and I think all the indications are that President Trump feels the need and wants to engage more with Russia than has happened in the past.
She added: “I was also able to relay my discussions with President Trump on the importance of maintaining the sanctions regime on Russia in response to its actions in Ukraine, and I very much welcome the strong words last week from the new US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, in confirming America’s continued support for these sanctions.”
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