EU Chief, Jean-Claude Juncker tag Brexit as ‘a failure and tragedy’

More pressures are being mounted on Britain to pay the divorce bill of £50 billion, saying it is not being made to punish Britain, rather is the UK’s share of commitments it also took part in as a member of the EU prior to Brexit.

The latest of such demand is coming from the President of the European Union. Juncker while speaking also described Brexit as "a failure and a tragedy" he however maintained he was not in "a hostile mood" to the UK.

Speaking also on a positive note, Juncker promised that the EU will enter into the negotiations in a "friendly" and fair way, but warned the EU was not "naive".

When asked about the alleged divorce bill levelled against the UK he said: "It is around that, but that is not the main story.

"We have to calculate scientifically what the British commitments were and then the bill has to be paid."

He took a little time to explain that the divorce bill is meant to offset various projects which was agreed by the UK, and also to pay pensions of the union’s officials that worked during the period the UK was a member.

Mr Juncker said: "It will be a bill reflecting former commitments by the British Government and by the British Parliament.

"There will be no sanctions, no punishment, nothing of that kind, but Britain has to know - and I suppose that the Government does know it - that they have to honour the commitments and the former commitments."

On Brexit, Mr Juncker said: "It is a failure and a tragedy."

But he added: "I am anything but in a hostile mood when it comes to Britain. We will negotiate in a friendly way, a fair way, and we are not naive."

The EU chief also announced Brussel’s readiness in protecting the future status of the about three million EU citizens living in the UK and vice versa.

He added: "This is not about bargaining, this is about respecting human dignity.

"We are not in a hostile mood when it comes to Britain, because I do think and I do want to have with Britain over the next decades a friendly relationship."

Mr Juncker also stressed he did not want other EU nations to follow Britain in leaving, warning that would threaten "the end" for the EU project.

"I don't want others to take the same avenue," he said. "Let's suppose for one second that others will leave - two, three, four or five. That would be the end."