Trump says Brexit will be 'a great thing'

LONDON - US President-elect Donald Trump said Brexit will turn out to be a "great thing," The Times newspaper reported.

"Brexit is going to end up being a great thing," Trump told The Times of London in an interview. He was speaking to former British Justice Secretary Michael Gove, who has returned to journalism after his failed Conservative leadership bid last year.

Trump said he would work very hard to get a trade deal with the United Kingdom "done quickly and done properly."

He added: "People don't want to have other people coming in and destroying their country. I thought the UK was so smart in getting out [of the EU]… Obama said: they'll go to the back of the line [queue]… that was a bad statement."

Trump promised to sit down with British Prime Minister Theresa May soon after he enters office this week. "I will be meeting [Theresa May] - in fact if you want you can see the letter - wherever the letter is - she just sent it. She's requesting a meeting and we'll have a meeting right after I get into the White House and… we're gonna get something done very quickly," he said.

When asked about the prospect of a nuclear arms reduction deal with Russia, Trump told the newspaper in an interview: "For one thing, I think nuclear weapons should be way down and reduced very substantially, that's part of it."