BERLIN: French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said during a visit to Berlin on Friday that Britain had still not clearly defined its positions on Brexit and that this was making negotiations with the EU-27 more difficult.
Answering questions from an audience in Berlin after a speech on the French government’s reform drive, Philippe rejected a suggestion that other European countries were being “tough” on Britain and said it bore blame for difficulties in the talks.
“Our aim is not to be tough with the British. What is true is that these are difficult negotiations,” Philippe said.
“And they are difficult, they have been made difficult, because the initial positions of British diplomats still need to be clearly defined to a certain extent,” he added, before heading to the chancellery for a meeting with Germany’s Angela Merkel.
Nearly three months into talks on the terms of Britain’s departure from the European Union, the two sides have made little progress on the issues that Brussels wants resolved before talks on a future trading relationship begin.
These include expatriate citizens’ rights, the Irish border and the bill that London should pay its EU partners to settle existing financial commitments.
Philippe said he regretted Britain’s decision to leave the EU and, coming from Normandy, felt like he was among cousins when he traveled to the United Kingdom.
But he said it was important for the EU-27 and its lead negotiator, Frenchman Michel Barnier, to ensure that the interests of citizens on the continent were protected. For that, the bloc had to stick to its sequencing plan.
“It is our responsibility to ensure that the exit is done in an orderly manner,” Philippe said.
Lack of clear UK stance making Brexit talks tough - French PM
Lack of clear UK stance making Brexit talks tough - French PM
EU leaders reject Trump’s tariffs threat over Greenland
- “We won’t let ourselves be intimidated,” Kristersson said
- “Only Denmark and Greenland decide questions that concern them”
AMSTERDAM: The Netherlands’ foreign minister on Sunday said that US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose new tariffs on European allies until they agree to sell Greenland to the United States is “blackmail.”
“It’s blackmail what he’s doing ... and it’s not necessary. It doesn’t help the alliance (NATO) and it also doesn’t help Greenland,” David van Weel said in an interview on Dutch television.
In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, Trump said additional 10 percent import tariffs would take effect on February 1 on goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and Great Britain — countries that have agreed to contribute personnel to a NATO exercise on Greenland.
Van Weel said the Greenland mission was intended to show the US Europe’s willingness to help defend Greenland and he was opposed to Trump making a connection with diplomacy over the island and trade.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson earlier rejected Trump’s threat to European nations of swinging tariffs if they did not let him acquire Greenland.
“We won’t let ourselves be intimidated,” he said in a message sent to AFP. “Only Denmark and Greenland decide questions that concern them.
“I will always defend my country and our allied neighbors,” he added, stressing that this was “a European question.
“Sweden is currently having intensive discussions with other EU countries, Norway and the United Kingdom to find a joint response,” he added.
