The British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has emphasized that he is willing to prioritize the interests of the United Kingdom and publicly disagree with the President of the United States, Donald Trump, if he deems it necessary in the current context of geopolitical tensions between both allies.
"All leaders should do that. National interest must be defended above all; that is what is required if one wants to perform this job correctly. I will always prioritize the interests of the United Kingdom," he stated in an interview granted to the television network BBC.
In the same vein, the head of government has stressed that he will not accept a "different opinion" if he does not see well-founded reasons. "I will have to express a different opinion that is appropriate for the United Kingdom and that is what I will do. My strength always lies in staying close to the people, close to society," he added.
The Republican leader held a "very good conversation" with Burnham on Tuesday, who on Monday became the seventh British Prime Minister in the last ten years following the resignation of Keir Starmer as leader of the Labour Party.
Burnham's words coincide with those of the Defense Minister, Wes Streeting, who on the same day avoided clarifying whether he personally trusts Trump as a partner and emphasized that Washington does not seek submissive allies. "I do not know him, but I do trust the United States," he indicated, describing the cooperation in security matters as "close."
"One of the things I would say about President Trump is that we do not always like what he says nor are we always pleased with his methods. However, I sincerely believe that when this stage of history is written, Europe will thank President Trump for having pulled us out of our complacency, for having forced us to fend for ourselves, and for having put an end to the excessive dependence on the United States in defense matters," he declared in an interview with Sky News.