Theresa May to press EU leaders on #defence spending

The UK prime minister is to urge EU Nato members to spend more on defence.

At an informal summit in Malta, Theresa May will brief leaders on her recent talks in the US with Donald Trump, when he indicated his commitment to NATO.

The UK is one of the few alliance members to meet pledges to spend a minimum of 2% of GDP on defence.

May will also pledge continued UK help with Europe's migrant crisis - a focus for the summit - and to be a "reliable partner" after Brexit.

She will argue that she wants a "new, positive and constructive" relationship with the EU after Brexit, Downing Street said.

She is also expected to stress that a strong EU is in the interests of the UK.

May is expected to leave Malta's capital Valletta after morning discussions and one-to-one talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy

The remaining EU leaders will discuss plans for a summit in Rome in March and the future of the EU.

On Thursday (2 February), the prime minister of Malta, Joseph Muscat, whose country holds the rotating European Council presidency, told the BBC's World Service he wants a "fair deal" for the UK after Brexit, but said it must be "inferior" to full EU membership.

"No one wants the UK economy to suffer, I think this is a lose-lose situation," he said, adding that he also expects a transitional deal for Britain will be agreed quite easily.

However, he stressed: "Now, in my book if you're not part of the single market, that is an inferior deal. But maybe for the British government if you're not part of the single market but get to control your borders that's a superior deal."

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