U.S. President Donald J. Trump has said Brexit could be a good thing for both the UK and the European Union, saying the political bloc had done a “very good job” holding itself together after Britain’s vote last year.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Mr. Trump said he initially thought other countries would follow Britain out of the EU, but now he is not so sure.

“I think Brexit is very good for the UK,” he said. “I would have thought when it happened that more would follow, but I really think the European Union is getting their act together. It could be a very good thing for both.”

“It is a very interesting thing,” he added.

“If you would have asked me that the day after the election, I would have said, ‘Yeah, it will start to come apart’.

“But they have done a very good job and — I am meeting with them very soon — they have done a very good job in bringing it back together.

“I had a great meeting with Chancellor Merkel. I had a great meeting with her, I really liked her. She said the same thing to me. I spoke to her two days ago.

“She said the same thing to me, we had a great meeting and the press doesn’t get it.”

Mr. Trump also said that Brexit had made the remainder of the EU pull together.

“It just seems to be that there is a different spirit for holding together. I don’t think they had that spirit when they were fighting with the UK and [the] UK ultimately decided to go out.

“I actually think it is going to be a great deal for [the] UK, and I think it is going to be really, really good also for the European Union.”