The Latest: Trump says US supports Britain in Brexit talks

LONDON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump's trip to Europe (all times local):

2:50 p.m.

Police in Helsinki say they have registered over a dozen demonstrations in connection with the summit by U.S President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on Monday.

The protests are spread throughout the weekend and Monday, police said Friday. The biggest one, dubbed "Helsinki Calling," is expected to draw thousands of people on a march through the city Sunday afternoon.

Organizers say it would be a "peaceful, family-friendly and non-partisan" event not directed against either leader with an aim to manifest the importance of human rights and environmental issues among other themes.

A pro-Trump group called "Helsinki Loves Trump" with some 1,500 followers on Facebook said it wouldn't demonstrate but rather hold a gathering of like-minded people Sunday.

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2:35 p.m.

U.S. President Donald Trump says Theresa May is an "incredible woman" who is "doing a fantastic job" as the British prime minister.

Trump commented as he sought to soften the blow after he criticized aspects of her leadership in an interview published Thursday by a British tabloid.

Trump says he's gotten to know May much better over several days of meetings and socializing this week and says: "I think she's a terrific woman."

Trump spoke at a news conference with May following meetings at her official country estate outside of London.

Asked to rate U.S.-U.K. relations, Trump gave them the "highest level of special."

Trump also reiterated that he thinks Boris Johnson would be a great prime minister. Johnson recently resigned as British foreign minister to protest May's handling of Britain's exit from the EU.

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2:30 p.m.

U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May are expressing differing views on the benefits of immigration to Europe.

Trump says during a joint news conference that immigration has been "very bad" for Europe and is changing the culture of the continent.

May says the United Kingdom has a "proud history" of welcoming people to its country, and immigration has been "good" for the U.K.

May says people of different backgrounds have contributed to her country's society, but it's important to have a "set of rules" when it comes to immigration.

The two leaders were asked about Trump's interview with The Sun newspaper in which he argued that Europe is "losing its culture" because of immigration.

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2:25 p.m.

U.S. President Donald Trump says not to expect a "Perry Mason" moment when he and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet early next week.

Trump says he'll raise the issue of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election with Putin. But he says he doesn't think Putin will say "you got me."

U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia meddled in the election to try to help Trump get elected. Putin denies interfering. Trump has also reiterated Putin's denials.

Perry Mason was an attorney who defended falsely accused people in a long-running U.S. television drama that carried the character's name.

Trump add that he'll discuss other issues with Putin, mentioning Ukraine, Syria, other areas of the Middle East and nuclear proliferation.

The leaders are scheduled to hold talks Monday in Helsinki.

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2:15 p.m.

U.S. President Donald Trump is asserting that he didn't criticize British Prime Minister Theresa May during an interview this week with The Sun newspaper in which he questioned May's handling of Brexit.

Trump says during a joint news conference with May: "I have a lot of respect for the prime minister."

The president says the newspaper didn't include the "tremendous things" he said about May in the interview.

Trump said May would make a decision on how to handle Brexit, but he wants to ensure the U.S. "can trade and we don't have any restrictions" on commerce with the United Kingdom.

The two leaders say they hope to soon pursue a bilateral trade agreement.

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2:10 p.m.

U.S. President Donald Trump says the U.S. supports the British people's decision to "realize full self-government" as it negotiates an exit from the European Union.

Of the negotiations toward an exit, Trump says: "We will see how that goes."

He calls it a "very complicated negotiation." A slim majority of Britons voted in 2016 to break from the EU.

Trump criticized May's handling of the so-called Brexit negotiations in an interview with a British tabloid published on Thursday.

Trump also thanked May for her "very gracious hospitality." The prime minister welcomed the American president to her official residences outside of London.

The leaders are holding a news conference following meetings Friday at Chequers, May's official country estate.

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2:10 p.m.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has disagreed —politely— with U.S. President Donald Trump's warning that her Brexit plans could scuttle a U.S.-U.K. free trade deal after the U.K. leaves the European Union.

May says her plan "provides the platform for Donald and me" to strike an "ambitious" trade deal.

Trump and May are holding a news conference after talks at the prime minister's country residence, Chequers, and after Trump gave an interview to The Sun newspaper slamming her and praising her rival Boris Johnson.

May praised the strength of the U.S.-U.K. bond. But in a gentle rebuke, May said "it is all of our responsibility to ensure that trans-Atlantic unity endures."

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2:15 p.m.

Germany's current and former foreign ministers are criticizing comments made by U.S. President Donald Trump about their country and European allies.

In extracts of an interview with German weekly Der Spiegel published Friday, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Trump's verbal attacks against Germany endangered the West's security.

Spiegel quoted Maas saying that "Europe can't accept that what's been built up over many years is intentionally damaged for the thrill of being provocative."

Trump had claimed at a Wednesday breakfast with NATO's secretary general that a new natural gas pipeline to Russia has left Germany "captive" to Moscow.

Maas told Spiegel that "we aren't prisoners, neither to Russia nor to the U.S."

His predecessor, Sigmar Gabriel, told the magazine that "Trump endangers world peace by consciously splitting the Western alliance and disregarding its values.

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12:15 p.m.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has told Sky News that it is up to President Donald Trump to explain why he keeps singling out the mayor for criticism.

London's first Muslim mayor says Friday that many major cities, including Paris, Brussels and Berlin, have suffered terrorism attacks but that Trump has chosen to only criticize him. He says it's for Trump to explain why he focuses only on Khan.

The mayor also challenges Trump's claim that Europe is "losing its culture" because of immigration. Khan says immigration has brought "huge" social, economic and cultural benefits to London and to Britain.

Trump heavily criticized Khan in an interview published Thursday in The Sun newspaper.

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11:55 a.m.

President Donald Trump says his relationship with British Prime Minister Theresa May is "very, very strong" even after a published interview in which he questioned her handling of Brexit.

Trump says alongside May at Chequers, the prime minister's country estate, that during their dinner "we probably never developed a better relationship than last night."

He says they're discussing trade and military issues and is calling their relationship "very, very strong. We really have a very good relationship."

May notes the U.S. is "our longest-standing and deepest security and defense partner" and credits Trump for pushing NATO partners to increase their defense spending.

Trump questions May's handling of Brexit in an interview with The Sun newspaper and says May's former foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, would make an "excellent" prime minister.

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11:45 a.m.

European Union and Schengen-area member Finland says it has temporarily introduced checks on its internal borders due to the upcoming summit by U.S and Russian leaders in Helsinki

The government said Friday's decision is a security measure related to the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on July 16.

Tightened control is valid for four days starting 0900 GMT Friday until 0900 GMT Tuesday with focus on the airports of Helsinki and the western city of Turku.

International passenger harbors in both cities will also under tighter scrutiny by police and border guard.

Officials said random checks would be done as necessary on the Finnish-Swedish and the Finnish-Norwegian border points.

Trump and Putin have met twice earlier on the sidelines of international meetings.

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11:15 a.m.

President Donald Trump has viewed a joint military exercise along with British Prime Minister Theresa May at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

Trump's visit to the military academy on Friday morning was closed to the media. The military demonstration involving American and British officers came after Trump criticized May's Brexit plans in an interview published by The Sun newspaper late Thursday night.

Trump and May later traveled to Chequers, the prime minister's country retreat. Trump told reporters briefly that he and May worked together on NATO spending and spoke Thursday night.

The two leaders will hold one-on-one talks, a working lunch and a joint news conference at May's house, which is 40 miles (65 kms) from London.

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10:45 a.m.

U.S. first lady Melania Trump is visiting the Royal Hospital Chelsea, a historic London retirement home for hundreds of former British soldiers.

Mrs. Trump split off from her husband Friday morning for the solo outing to the hospital, which dates from over 300 years ago to the reign of King Charles II.

The first lady was hosted by British Prime Minister Theresa May's husband, Philip May.

She will meet local schoolchildren and mingle with the hospital's resident veterans, known as Chelsea Pensioners.

Her trip to Europe with U.S. President Donald Trump marked the former model's return to the international stage after she was hospitalized for a kidney condition in May and dropped out of public sight for nearly a month.

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9:40 a.m.

France's foreign minister says Europe will stand up to U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to "destabilize" the EU and derail international cooperation.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Friday on BFM television that Trump "can't tolerate that there is an ensemble called the European Union." But, he added, "Europe will not let itself be destabilized."

The top French diplomat spoke as Trump is paying a tumultuous trip to Europe.

Le Drian says Trump only believes in conflictual relationships, and accused him of trying to destroy multilateral efforts to encourage trade, fight climate change and Iran's nuclear activities.

Trump angered European allies at a NATO summit this week and then accused British Prime Minister Theresa May of being too soft with the EU on Brexit negotiations.

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9 a.m.

President Donald Trump is continuing to court controversy during his trip to Europe.

Trump is in London, where his day will start with a viewing of a military demonstration before he heads to meetings with British Prime Minister Theresa May at Chequers, May's country house.

The meetings are expected to be unusually tense after Trump trashed May's Brexit plans in a diplomacy-wrecking interview with The Sun newspaper that published late Thursday night.

The president will also be paying a visit to Windsor Castle where he and first lady Melania Trump will have tea with Queen Elizabeth II.

Large anti-Trump protests are expected to follow Trump throughout the day.

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7:56 a.m.

President Donald Trump is dishing up a fresh dose of chaos on his European tour, blasting British Prime Minister Theresa May in a published interview.

Trump is questioning May's handling of Brexit in an interview with The Sun newspaper and blaming London's mayor for terror attacks against the city. The president is also arguing that Europe is "losing its culture" because of immigration.

Trump told the newspaper he felt unwelcome in London because of protests, including plans to fly a giant balloon depicting him as an angry baby.

Trump says May's former foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, would make an "excellent" prime minister, speaking just days after Johnson resigned his position in protest of May's Brexit plans.

Associated Press