EU leader lashes out at UK over Brexit

European Union leer Charles Michel has used virtual pulpit of U.N. General Assembly to lash out at Britain for its threats to renege on parts of withdrawal treaty it signed with EU. Michel warned Britain that 27-nation bloc won't back down in final weeks of acrimonious talks on a free-tre deal.

Michel me unmistakable references to United Kingdom on Friday when he said that "respect for treaties, a basic principle of international law, comes to be considered optional even by those who, until recently, were its historical guarantors."

Michel ded that this was being done "in name of partisan interests," referring to government of U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

"Access to our large market — second-largest ecomic zone in world, and first in terms of international tre — will longer be sold off," Michel said. "From w on, we will better enforce level playing field, in a market open to those who respect its standards. Wher y leave our Union or want to move closer to it."

Michel also said EU believes recent elections in Belarus were "falsified."