Britain's Cameron slams efforts to forge a country called Europe

Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron walks past a map of Europe on a screen as he walks away after making a speech on holding a referendum on staying in the European Union in London, Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013. Cameron said Wednesday he will offer British citizens a vote on whether to leave the European Union if his party wins the next election, a move which could trigger alarm among fellow member states. He acknowledged that public disillusionment with the EU is "at an all-time high," using a long-awaited speech in central London to say that the terms of Britain's membership in the bloc should be revised and the country's citizens should have a say. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) (The Associated Press)

British Prime Minister David Cameron addresses a panel session of the 43rd Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, WEF, in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Keystone, Laurent Gillieron) (The Associated Press)

DAVOS, Switzerland – Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron has slammed any moves to forge a United States of Europe.

Cameron, who has shaken up Europe's political landscape by offering to let citizens vote on whether to leave the 27-nation European Union, says forcing countries into a single entity would be a "great mistake."

Speaking Thursday at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos, Cameron says Britain would stand against any moves to shoehorn countries into a centralized political union.

Many politicians, particularly those in the 17 countries that use the euro, think closer political ties are needed. Some even think something resembling the United States should be Europe's end-game.

A number of European leaders have accused Cameron of putting the bloc at risk to deal with domestic political problems.