Jean Claude Junker, President of the European Commission, made the following statement:
- If the United Kingdom wants to move on to the second phase of negotiations, they have to pay.
- Why not just say that the rights of EU citizens will remain as they are after Brexit.
- Britain must commit itself to paying what it owes to the EU before talks on a future relationship with the EU begin.
- The British are finding new problems day after day, which I think why this the process will take longer than initially expected.
- We can't at present find a real compromise on the remaining financial obligations of the United Kingdom.
- We will not be able to ask the European Council next week to move on to the second phase of the negotiations before Britain is committed to its obligations.
- The British have to pay, and I do not say that in retaliation, I don't hate the British.
