Tri-Service

Obama: US Has "No More Important Partner" Than Britain

US President Barack Obama has welcomed the UK’s decision to meet its target of spending 2% of national income on defence.

Mr Obama also said America has "no more important partner" than Britain, speaking in an interview with the BBC. He said:

"We don't have a more important partner than Great Britain. For him [David Cameron] to make that [two per cent] commitment when he has a budget agenda that is confined, a budget envelope that is confined, is significant."

But the US president warned about the prospect of the UK losing influence if it leaves the European Union.

A referendum on whether Britain should remain in the EU will be held by the end of 2017 under David Cameron's plans to renegotiate the terms of the UK's membership before putting that new deal to the public.

Mr Obama said the UK's membership of the EU gives "much greater confidence" about the relationship between the United States and Europe. He said:

"Having the United Kingdom in the European Union gives us much greater confidence about the state of the transatlantic union and is part of the cornerstone of the institutions built after World War Two that has made the world safer and more prosperous."

"We want to make sure that the United Kingdom continues to have that influence."