LONDON: There are currently no plans for US President Donald Trump to visit Britain in the coming weeks, the UK government said Monday, damping down reports the US leader is planning a flying visit to the country.
British media have reported that Trump might stop at his Turnberry golf course in Scotland after visiting Poland and attending a Group of 20 summit in Germany this week, and before he goes to Bastille Day celebrations in France on July 14.
Prime Minister Theresa May’s spokesman, James Slack, told reporters that “I’m not aware of any plans for the president to visit the UK in the next few weeks.”
Slack also said the invitation of a state visit for Trump, made in January, still stands. No date has been announced, and there was no mention of the visit in a list of government plans announced by Queen Elizabeth II last month.
Slack said “we will set out full plans in due course.”
The Guardian newspaper reported last month that Trump had told May that he does not want to come to Britain if there will be protests.
Anti-Trump protesters have vowed to demonstrate even if he comes at short notice.
Owen Jones, co-founder of the Stop Trump Coalition, said the president “thinks he can sneak into the country to avoid protests.
“We have to prove him wrong. We’re asking Britain to be on stand-by to take to the streets with just hours’ notice if necessary.”
In Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman said she and Trump plan to meet in Hamburg on Thursday.
“Indeed a meeting with the US president is planned before the G-20 summit, most probably in the early evening of Thursday,” Steffen Seibert, Merkel’s spokesman, said at a press briefing.
Transatlantic differences on climate change, trade, refugees and other issues are expected to flare at the July 7-8 meeting of world leaders from major industrialized and emerging economies in the northern port city.
Merkel met with key European leaders recently and vowed to make a stand for climate protection and open markets at the meeting with Trump, who has said he will take the US out of the Paris climate deal and pursue a protectionist “America First” policy.
Merkel said last Thursday that “the differences are obvious and it would be dishonest to try to cover that up. That I won’t do.”
She also said the US exit from the 2015 Paris climate pact had made Europe “more determined than ever” to make the accord a success.
More than 20,000 police will be on duty in Hamburg for the meeting, whose participants include China’s President Xi Jinping, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
More than 30 anti-capitalist protests have been scheduled for before and during the meeting.
A day before the G-20 talks, Trump will head to Warsaw for a summit meeting of central and eastern European leaders likely to include Hungary’s hard-line Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has sparred with western European leaders, especially on the refugee issue.
British media have reported that Trump might stop at his Turnberry golf course in Scotland after visiting Poland and attending a Group of 20 summit in Germany this week, and before he goes to Bastille Day celebrations in France on July 14.
Prime Minister Theresa May’s spokesman, James Slack, told reporters that “I’m not aware of any plans for the president to visit the UK in the next few weeks.”
Slack also said the invitation of a state visit for Trump, made in January, still stands. No date has been announced, and there was no mention of the visit in a list of government plans announced by Queen Elizabeth II last month.
Slack said “we will set out full plans in due course.”
The Guardian newspaper reported last month that Trump had told May that he does not want to come to Britain if there will be protests.
Anti-Trump protesters have vowed to demonstrate even if he comes at short notice.
Owen Jones, co-founder of the Stop Trump Coalition, said the president “thinks he can sneak into the country to avoid protests.
“We have to prove him wrong. We’re asking Britain to be on stand-by to take to the streets with just hours’ notice if necessary.”
In Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman said she and Trump plan to meet in Hamburg on Thursday.
“Indeed a meeting with the US president is planned before the G-20 summit, most probably in the early evening of Thursday,” Steffen Seibert, Merkel’s spokesman, said at a press briefing.
Transatlantic differences on climate change, trade, refugees and other issues are expected to flare at the July 7-8 meeting of world leaders from major industrialized and emerging economies in the northern port city.
Merkel met with key European leaders recently and vowed to make a stand for climate protection and open markets at the meeting with Trump, who has said he will take the US out of the Paris climate deal and pursue a protectionist “America First” policy.
Merkel said last Thursday that “the differences are obvious and it would be dishonest to try to cover that up. That I won’t do.”
She also said the US exit from the 2015 Paris climate pact had made Europe “more determined than ever” to make the accord a success.
More than 20,000 police will be on duty in Hamburg for the meeting, whose participants include China’s President Xi Jinping, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
More than 30 anti-capitalist protests have been scheduled for before and during the meeting.
A day before the G-20 talks, Trump will head to Warsaw for a summit meeting of central and eastern European leaders likely to include Hungary’s hard-line Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has sparred with western European leaders, especially on the refugee issue.
