LONDON – U.S. President Donald Trump told British Prime Minister TheresaMay she should sue the European Unionlink>ratherthan negotiate with them, she said on July 15.
Ms. May said Mr. Trump’s self-declared “brutal” option in the Brexitnegotiations was to sue Brussels, shedding light on his mysterioussuggestion that has hung over their talks and his four-day visit to Britain.
“He told me I should sue the E.U. Sue the E.U.,” Ms May told BBCtelevision. The unknown Trump option had been hanging in the air for days.
In an interview with *The Sun* newspaper on July 12 ahead of his talks withMs. May, Mr. Trump said he had told Ms. May how to deal with Brussels butshe “didn’t listen”.
“I would have done it much differently. I actually told Theresa May how todo it but she didn’t agree, she didn’t listen to me. She wanted to go adifferent route,” he said. “She probably went the opposite way.”
In a press conference after their talks on July 13, Mr. Trump said it hadbeen a suggestion rather than advice. “I think maybe she found it toobrutal,” he said, standing alongside Ms. May, without revealing thedetails. “I could fully understand why she thought it was tough. And maybesomeday she’ll do that. If they don’t make the right deal she may do what Isuggested but it’s not an easy thing.”
‘Would have been great’
And when pressed in a newspaper interview afterwards, Mr. Trump stilldeclined to reveal what his suggestion was.
“I recommended her something, I gave her an option, I’d rather not tell youwhat that option is, but I think she might,” he told *The Mail onSunday* newspaper.“I think it would’ve been great, but it’s not too late for her to do that,necessarily.”
Ms. May finally revealed what Mr. Trump had told her. “He told me I shouldsue the E.U. Sue the E.U. Not go into negotiations, sue them. Actually, no,we’re going into negotiations with them,” she said.
“What the President also said at that press conference was don’t walk away.Don’t walk away from negotiations because then you’re stuck,” she added.“So I want us to be able to sit down to negotiate the best deal forBritain.”
The U.K. is due to leave the E.U. in March 2019.
Ms. May’s proposals for Britain’s future relationship with Brussels,published on July 12, foresee an overall “association agreement” with theE.U. encompassing different deals on different areas.
Britain and the E.U. would maintain a “common rulebook” for goods to ensuresmooth trade including in agricultural, food and fisheries products. -APP/AFP