Islam Times - UK PM Theresa May to emphasize value of NATO, EU to Trump

Islam Times - British Prime Minister Theresa May says she will emphasize the value of the NATO military alliance to US President Donald Trump and urge him not to undermine European unity when she meets him in Washington.

In an interview with the Financial Times, May said that she expected to have “very frank” discussions with the new president, saying honesty was a key element of what she believed would be “a very special relationship”.

The British premier said she was sure that the new president “recognizes the importance and significance of NATO.”

“I’m also confident the USA will recognize the importance of the co-operation we have in Europe to ensure our collective defense and collective security," she added.

May is expected to visit Trump in March, according to Downing Street, although the Financial Times, reported that she could go to Washington as early as next month.

Meanwhile, May congratulated Trump after he took office on Friday.

"From our conversations to date, I know we are both committed to advancing the special relationship between our two countries and working together for the prosperity and security of people on both sides of the Atlantic," she said.

In an interview with two European newspapers last week, Trump said NATO was “obsolete, because it was designed many, many years ago” and that “because it wasn't taking care of terror.”

European nations have said they are “astonished” by Trump’s comments about NATO, which has been a cornerstone of Europe’s defense policy since the end of World War II.

Trump has also endorsed Britain’s decision to leave the EU, which he claims is little more than a “vehicle for Germany.”