New Delhi, Delhi, India

One of the closest allies of Britain, US President Donald Trump questioned UK prime minister Theresa May's Brexit plan hours before flying to the UK for his working visit with his UK counterpart.

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He said on Thursday he was not sure that Britons had voted for the Brexit plan presented by Theresa May, which has triggered a British cabinet rebellion.

"The people voted to break it up (Britain's ties with the EU)," Trump told a press conference in Brussels on the eve of a trip to Britain.

"So I would imagine that's what they will do, but maybe they will take a little bit of a different route. I don't know that is what they voted for."

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Donald Trump will arrive in Britain on Thursday after the NATO summit in Brussels for his first visit as US president, flying into a whirlwind of protests against him and political turmoil over Brexit.

The four-day trip, which will include talks with Prime Minister Theresa May, tea with Queen Elizabeth II and a private weekend in Scotland, is set to be greeted by a mass protest on Friday.

Despite a series of diplomatic spats between Britain and Trump, the British government is hoping for a quick trade deal with the US after it leaves the European Union.

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"There is no stronger alliance than that of our special relationship with the US and there will be no alliance more important in the years ahead," May said ahead of the visit.

US ambassador to the UK, Woody Johnson, has said a deal will be "a major priority" for Trump, calling Brexit "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change direction".