Trump Meets Theresa May of Britain as He Weighs Lifting Russia Sanctions - nytimes

WASHINGTON — President Trump plans to open a dialogue with Russia on Saturday that could lead to lifting American sanctions, even as Britain’s visiting prime minister and leading senators from his own party urged him not to let up the pressure on the Kremlin until it reverses its armed intervention in Ukraine.

Mr. Trump’s meeting with Mrs. May was his first with a visiting foreign leader since taking office with a promise to pursue an “America First” foreign policy. For Mr. Trump, it was a debut on the world stage that took on additional meaning after a scheduled White House visit by Mexico’s president next week fell apart in a dispute over the border wall Mr. Trump wants to build.

Mr. Trump appeared comfortable and confident with Mrs. May standing to his right. He offered a brief opening statement that referred twice to the “special relationship” between the two countries, a phrase Britons take seriously. He offered crisp answers, in contrast to Mr. Obama, who tended to talk at length. While Mr. Trump did not demonstrate detailed policy knowledge, he went out of his way to emphasize commonalities with Mrs. May.

He also tried to reassure Europeans who view him with deep skepticism. When a British reporter referred to him as a “brash TV extrovert,” Mr. Trump replied, “Actually, I’m not as brash as you might think.”

Mrs. May, eager to forge a relationship with him akin to Margaret Thatcher’s alliance with Ronald Reagan, reciprocated the warm sentiments, praising his “stunning election victory” and conveying an invitation from Queen Elizabeth II for the president to make a state visit, which he accepted.

Addressing one area of disagreement, Mrs. May said that the president had privately expressed his support for NATO, despite past comments disparaging the alliance as “obsolete.” “Mr. President,” she said, “I think you said, you confirmed that you’re 100 percent behind NATO.” - Read More

Trump Meets Theresa May of Britain as He Weighs Lifting Russia Sanctions