Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May discuss NATO, trade, Brexit

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 that center on trade, the British withdrawal from the European Union, and the future of the NATO military alliance.

"The two leaders have already committed to building on the special bond between the UK (United Kingdom) and the U.S.," said a statement from the prime minister's office. "These talks will be 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 Churchill back," he said.

Though they have spoken on the phone, the American and British leaders do not know each other. (An initial version of Trump's schedule misspelled May's name, leaving off the "h" in Theresa; it was corrected in a revised version.)

Trump and May are scheduled to conduct a joint news conference after their Oval Office meeting.

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 is expected to express strong support for NATO during the meeting with Trump, a session that will also include 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.

Read more:

Beer, snacks and cars: How a 20% Mexico tariff could cost U.S. shoppers

Trump (again) makes unsupported voter fraud claim, criticizes Mexico

"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.

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."

Read more:

How Donald Trump, Theresa May are the 2017 version of '80s power couple Reagan-Thatcher

White House misspells Theresa May's name three times ahead of Trump meeting