WASHINGTON — In his first official meeting with a foreign leader, President Trump welcomed British Prime Minister Theresa May to the White House on Friday for talks on topics that included trade, the British withdrawal from the European Union, the future of the NATO military alliance, and Russia.
“The special relationship between our two counties has been one of the greatest forces in history for justice and peace," Trump told reporters in a short joint news conference after the hour-long meeting with the British prime minister -- "and, by the way, my mother was born in Scotland."
May gave a much longer opening statement lauding U.S.-U.K. cooperation on trade, defense, and terrorism. The prime minister added that she had extended an invitation from Queen Elizabeth for President Trump to make a state visit to London this year, “and I’m delighted to say he has accepted.”
May praised Trump for his "stunning" election win, and said the president made a "100% commitment" to NATO. The prime minister also dismissed a question about skepticism of Trump in Great Britain and Europe, telling reporters she had a constructive talk with him: "I've been listening to the president, and the president has been listening to me."
The press conference followed with a round of very short questions and answers.
On Russia, Trump declined to say whether he supported lifting sanctions on Vladimir Putin's government; the president is scheduled to speak with Putin by phone on Saturday.
"We look to have a great relationship with all countries, ideally,” Trump said, while May said Russia needed to live up to its commitments on Ukraine.
When May called on a British reporter who asked Trump a sharp-edged question about abortion, Trump deflected with humor.
“This was your choice,” Trump told May. “There goes that relationship.”
A statement from the prime minister's office said "the two leaders have already committed to building on the special bond between the UK (United Kingdom) and the U.S.," and their talk was "an opportunity to establish the basis for a strong and productive working relationship."
White House spokesman Sean Spicer said the United States will "continue to talk about growing the relationship between America and the United Kingdom."
Posing with May for photographers in the Oval Office, Trump pointed to the bust of iconic British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, returned to the Oval Office for the first time since the George W. Bush administration. "It's a great honor to have Winston Churchill back," he said.
"It's a great honor to be here," May said in response.
Though they have spoken on the phone, the American and British leaders do not know each other well. (An initial version of Trump's schedule misspelled May's name, leaving off the "h" in Theresa; it was corrected in a revised version.)
The May visit to the White House began something of a foreign policy weekend for Trump centered on Europe. Spicer said Trump is lining up Saturday phone calls with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Putin calls take place as intelligence agencies accuse Russia of interfering in the 2016 election by hacking Democrats close to Trump opponent Hillary Clinton.
Many foreign leaders have said they don't know what to expect from Trump, who has criticized various trade agreements the United States has with other countries, saying they are costing American jobs. He has also said other countries should pay for U.S. defense assistance, including members of the North American Treaty Organization (NATO).
May said she expressed strong support for NATO during the meeting with Trump, a session that will also included economics.
In a speech Thursday at a Republican retreat in Philadelphia, May called NATO "the cornerstone" of western defense, and said nations should work together to support it and similar alliances. "Some of these organizations are in need of reform and renewal to make them relevant to our needs today," she said, "but we should be proud of the role our nations, working in partnership, played in bringing them into being and in bringing peace and prosperity to billions of people as a result."
Trade talks
At the British prepare to withdraw from large economic market known as the European Union — the so-called Brexit — May said she looks forward to "pursuing talks with President Trump and his new administration about a new U.K.-U.S. free trade agreement in the coming months."
Praising the new president in her remarks to the Republicans, May said Trump won the presidency "in defiance of all of the pundits and the polls." His victory, she said, was "rooted not in the corridors of Washington, but in the hopes and aspirations of working men and women across this land."
In a separate speech at the Republican retreat, Trump complained that the Senate has not yet confirmed Commerce secretary nominee Wilbur Ross ahead of the May meeting.
"I don't have my Commerce secretary," Trump said. "They want to talk trade. So I'll have to handle it myself."
Trump has hailed the Brexit vote back in June, calling it a harbinger of his own victory in November -- a sentiment he repeated in his joint news conference with May.
"I think Brexit is going to be a wonderful thing for your country," Trump told May.
May arrived at the White House bearing gifts for both the president and first lady Melania Trump. She will give Mrs. Trump a hamper of produce from the Chequers estate, including apple juice, damson jam, marmalade, and white chocolate shorties, her office said in a statement..
The prime minister will present the president with a centuries-old Scottish cup known as a "Quaich."
"Originating in the Highlands, where clan chiefs prized them as a token of hospitality, they have been used across Scotland for centuries as a cup of friendship," the prime minister's office said. "Today it is rarely used as a drinking vessel, but rather it is a symbol of welcome and kinship."