EU to UK on Brexit talks: 'You can't have cake, eat it too'

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union took a defiant tone on Wednesday as standoff over resuming post-Brexit tre negotiations with United Kingdom intensified, telling London that “you cant have your cake and eat it too.”

European Council President Charles Michel refused to bow to British insistence for EU to fundamentally change its negotiating stance and cede more to U.K. demands. Michel said inste that if Britain wants vast access to 27-member bloc's markets, it will equally have to keep its waters open to EU fishermen, something U.K. government has said it doesn't want to do.

In a combative display at European Parliament, Michel said: “Yes, we want to keep access to U.K. waters for our fishermen. Exactly like you, too, want to keep access to our huge and diversified markets for your companies."

Britain and EU have been attempting to strike a new tre deal since U.K. left bloc on Jan. 31.

Those talks ground to a halt last week, with each side calling for or to compromise in order to secure a deal. EU said it was happy to keep talking, but Johnson said Friday that negotiations were over unless re was a “fundamental” shift from bloc. He told British businesses to prepare for a -deal ecomic break with EU at end of year.