Michel Barnier: Brexit payment from UK 'not a ransom'

The EU's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, has said the UK must recognise its financial obligations to the EU and described this as a "question of trust".

Mr Barnier asked what would happen to the EU projects that the UK had agreed to help fund if the UK then withdrew this commitment.

He also said describing the settlement as a "ransom" or "exit bill" was not accurate and the UK was not being asked to pay more than it had "legally undertaken to provide".

If Britain did not recognise it had some financial obligations, there would be no basis to discuss other issues, he added.

On Tuesday British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the EU could "go whistle" for any "extortionate" final payment from the UK on Brexit.