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The negotiations for Brexit again stuck, as the both sides do not step back from the divorce account. According to the European Union’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, Britain refuses to recognize its financial obligations for Brexit and wants a deal that is impossible to achieve. In the EU language, the “sufficient progress” is needed to move forward with trade talks.

The pound weakened to its lowest level in a week because the collapse of talks has increased UK’s chances of moving out of the EU without an agreement in 2019. The sharpness in its relations is evident after Michel Barnier quotes the often repeated but empty words of May, with whom she wanted to show that Britain could not have everything.

“Brexit means Brexit, leaving the single market means going out of the single market, and if the solution is such, will have consequences”, said Barnier at a press conference in Brussels along with Britain’s Brexit Minister David Davis.

Negotiations on future relations can not begin until EU leaders agree. However, the possibility of this happening at the next summit in October seems to be weaker. This means that the decision will be postponed for December, which means that both sides has an year to conclude a trade deal. The EU will not discuss transitional arrangements until progress on Brexit account has been achieved.

EU officials have told reporters that the British position on the bill is that the country has no obligations after Brexit and that it has to pay annual contributions only while it is still a member. The possible costs of a transit transaction have not been discussed.

The British team refused to state the amount the country is willing to pay during the talks and instead used the sessions to find gaps in EU calculations, sources familiar with the British position say.

“This week it became clear that Britain does not feel legally obliged to honor these obligations after leaving”, said Michel Barnier. The EU’s chief negotiator criticized Britain for wanting two things at the same time – “regain control” and set its own rules, and at the same time that these standards and regulations are automatically recognized in the EU. “It’s just impossible”, he said.

Davis has another point of view, saying talks are the basis for future rounds of talks. The two sides agree that talks on the Irish border were “useful” – a rare case of consent. With regard to the account, Davis said that the obligations “need to be specified must be real”. However, he left the door open for “moral duties”.

The third round of talks began with public dissatisfaction on both sides and quickly worsened. Britain accused Barnier of being too rigid and continuing to challenge the negotiated timetable – first divorce, then future relations. Britain argues that the most thorny issues will be easier to resolve when the future relationship is clarified.

