Theresa May endured a bruising first appearance on the world stage today, finding herself on the fringes of the G20's 'family photograph' after a thinly-veiled rebuke from Barack Obama.
The Prime Minister lined up for the traditional group shot following a series of difficult meetings with fellow leaders.
In an awkward joint press conference, Mr Obama refused to recant his statement during the EU referendum campaign that Britain would go to the 'back of the queue' for a trade deal with the US if it left the Brussels club.
And he also delivered a stark warning that action is needed to stop the Brexit process 'unravelling' the special relationship.The US president's original comments, made alongside David Cameron in April, were roundly condemned as an intrusion into domestic politics.
Polls have also suggested they were counterproductive - as the public were turned off by his threat,
But asked whether he regretted them today, a defiant Mr Obama - who leaves office in January - refused to back down.
While stressing that he never said Britain would be 'punished' for voting to cut ties with Brussels, Mr Obama repeated his view that the 'world benefited enormously from the UK's participation in the EU'.
And he made clear that the TTIP trade deal being hammered out with the EU would remain the US's priority - even though the talks appear to have ground to a halt.
Speaking at a press conference with Theresa May in the Chinese city of Hangzhou, where the summit is taking place, Mr Obama said: 'Those negotiations are proceeding.
'It would not make sense for us to put those efforts aside particularly at a time when my working assumption was that if in fact the people of the UK were to leave the EU their first priority would be to renegotiated their terms of trade with the economic unit they sell half of their goods to.'
Both Mr Obama and Mrs May said they would try to minimise the impact of Brexit on the Special Relationship.
'What I committed to Theresa is that we will consult closely with her as she and her government move forward with Brexit negotiations to ensure that we don't see adverse effects in the trade and commercial relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom,' he said.
'We're going to do everything we can to make sure that the consequences of the decision don't end up unravelling what is already a very strong and robust economic relationship.'
Mrs May said there could be some turbulence as Britain left the Brussels club, but said the country would be able to make a success of the move by seizing 'opportunities' it brought.
In a pre-recorded interview with the BBC's Andrew Marr show, Mrs May said: 'I'm not going to pretend that it's all going to be plain sailing.
'I think we must be prepared for the fact that there may be some difficult times ahead.
'But what I am is optimistic and, indeed, this is the message that came from the Cabinet when we were sitting around the table this week, it's the same message I've had from businesses, is an optimism about the future, about the opportunities that are now open to the UK. As I say, an independent UK forging our own way in the world.'
The PM has been meeting a range of leaders as she makes her first appearance at a major international summit.
Mrs May was braced for a potentially difficult encounter with Chinese Premier Xi, after the Hinkley Point nuclear power plant project was dramatically put on hold.
She has told journalists that the security services are reviewing the scheme amid fears about the growing influence of the communist giant on key infrastructure.
Government sources last night played down Mr Obama's intervention, saying it was 'not surprising' he was prioritising big multilateral trade deals in his final months as president.
A source said Mrs May had won agreement to start official-level talks on mapping out the framework of a future trade deal, although she acknowledged any agreement was 'a way off'.
Meanwhile, Mrs May rebuffed overtures from Vladimir Putin to reset the UK's frosty economic relations with Russia.
The Prime Minister challenged the Russian president over Moscow's intervention in Syria and warned him there could not be 'business as usual' in the relationship between the UK and the Kremlin.
During a tense 30-minute meeting at the G20 summit, described as 'formal and frank' by Number 10, Mrs May pushed the Russian leader over the need to secure access for aid convoys and demanded an end to the bombing of civilians.
Relations between the UK and Moscow have been severely strained by the crisis in the Ukraine, the war in Syria and the murder of Alexander Litvinenko.
A UK official said: 'The Prime Minister was clear that we can't have a relationship that is business as usual, there are a number of complex and serious issues of concern.
'But where it is in our interest to engage and work together, particularly on the safety of our citizens, then that is where we would be seeking to engage with the Russians.'
In contrast to outgoing president Mr Obama, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has said he wants an early free trade agreement after Britain leaves the EU.
'They've got to put in place free trade agreements and we are enthusiastic and supportive; we're providing Britain with as much assistance as we can at a technical level,' Turnbull told reporters in Hangzhou.
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