US President Donald Trump will travel to Britain in early December for a Nato summit, the White House has confirmed

The American president and his wife Melania will be in the UK from December 2-4 for the gathering of Western leaders – as the snap General Election campaign intensifies ahead of the December 12 poll.

The summit will feature a reception hosted by the Queen at Buckingham Palace.

READ MORE:Donald Trump 'overheard asking about investigations'

Mr Trump has faced large-scale demonstrations on his two previous visits to London as US president.

Protesters gather in Trafalgar Square, London on the second day of the state visit to the UK by US President Donald Trump Protesters in Trafalgar Square on the second day of the state visit to the UK by US President Donald Trump (Jacob King/PA)

He has regularly expressed concern that many Nato members are not providing sufficient financial support for the military alliance.

READ MORE: Donald Trump biographer: I've seen it for myself in Scotland - the president is not what you'd expect​

A White House statement said: “Seventy years after its founding, Nato remains the most successful alliance in history, guaranteeing the security, prosperity, and freedom of its members.

“President Trump looks forward to meeting with the other Nato heads of state and government to review the alliance’s unprecedented progress on burden-sharing, including adding more than 100 billion dollars in new defence spending since 2016.

“The president will also emphasise the need for the Nato alliance to ensure its readiness for the threats of tomorrow, including those emanating from cyberspace, those affecting our critical infrastructure and telecommunications networks, and those posed by terrorism.”