Britain will continue to play a full role in the European Union until its exit and will be a reliable partner afterwards, Prime Minister Theresa May said on arrival at her first EU summit on Thursday.

 

"The UK is leaving the EU but we will continue to play a full role until we leave and we'll be a strong and dependable partner after we have left," she told reporters in Brussels.

 
 

Highlighting her will to work with other Europeans despite the shock vote in June to quit the bloc, May said EU leaders should show a robust and united European stance "in the face of Russian aggression", adding that Britain had put a discussion of Russian actions in Syria on the agenda of the EU summit.

 

"We must continue to work together and it's vital that we work together to continue to put pressure on Russia to stop its appalling atrocities, its sickening atrocities in Syria," she said.