WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — On Thursday, the United Kingdom held a referendum to determine whether or not the country should leave the European Union. According to the final results, 51.9 percent of voters, or 17.4 million people, decided to support Brexit, while about 16.1 million opposed it.
"We should treat the ‘Brexit’ as an opportunity to forge a closer partnership with our historic friend and ally, including immediately starting negotiations for a targeted US-UK free trade agreement," Cruz stated.
Since 2013, the United States has been in negotiations with the European Union over the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) deal, which involves the creation of a free trade zone.
US President Barack Obama has stated that Washington’s priority is securing a deal with the EU bloc. During a visit to London in April, Obama warned that the United Kingdom would fall to the back of the line for trade talks if it leaves the European Union.