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Britain should pay Brexit divorce bill for the sake of 'future relations' with EU, says Donald Tusk

Donald Tusk - AP
Donald Tusk - AP

Donald Tusk has told Britain to pay its Brexit divorce bill for the sake of “future relations” with the EU as he rubbished suggestions that Brussels might end up owing money to the UK.

The President of the European Council poured cold water on suggestions by ministers including David Davis and Boris Johnson that Britain will be in credit when the final bill is worked out, saying: “It’s not about money, it’s about rules.”

He also said President Donald Trump had agreed with him when he told him the remaining 27 EU member states are “stronger after Brexit than before”.

Mr Tusk, who is attending the G7 summit in Sicily, was asked by The Daily Telegraph whether he agreed that Britain was owed money by Brussels, rather than the other way around.

He said: “No, we have to respect our obligations and I think it's not about money, it’s about rules and also it’s about a good basis for our future relations.

“This is why we will be very consistent in this problem, but please believe me it’s not because of money but because of rules.”

Brexit | The EU and UK negotiating teams
Brexit | The EU and UK negotiating teams

Earlier this month Mr Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, told The Daily Telegraph that Brussels would have to pay money to Britain to settle the final Brexit account, echoing earlier comments by Mr Davis, the Brexit Secretary.

Theresa May also told The Sunday Telegraph that “money paid in the past” by the UK must be taken into account in the final Brexit bill, suggesting the total would be nothing like the £80 billion demanded by some EU members.

Mrs May said in the interview: “There is much debate about what the UK’s obligations might be or indeed what our rights might be in terms of money being paid in in the past. We make it clear that we would look at those both rights and obligations.”

Mr Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, met Mr Trump earlier this week ahead of today’s G7 summit.

Mr Tusk said: “I was positively surprised by President Trump’s comments on Brexit, because it was clear for both of us that in fact the EU as 27 is more united after Brexit than before Brexit and it was also his opinion.

“I tried to convince him that Brexit is very important and dramatic but just an incident, not a trend, and President Trump agreed, it was for me a very positive moment.”

Mr Juncker described it as “a very friendly, constructive meeting”, adding: “On Brexit we didn’t mention it at length, but we mentioned it en passant. We made it clear that this in our eyes is a real tragedy, that it is not in the interests either of the British nor the continental and the Irish Europeans, I described why we don’t want other member states to leave the European Union and I don’t know any member state having an intention to leave.”

Asked if they believed security co-operation should be taken out of the Brexit talks and dealt with much more urgently, Mr Tusk said: “Counter-terrorism was one of the main topics during our discussion with President Trump. I was impressed by the determination and toughness of President Trump when it comes to counter-terrorism. 

“I totally agreed with him when he said that the international community, G7, the United States, Europe, should be tough, even brutal vis a vis terrorism and Isis.

“President Trump was also very tough regarding North Korea and in this very context he can count on us.”