EU won’t accept ‘artificial deadlines’ in talks with UK, France's Europe minister says

French European Affairs Minister Amelie de Montchalin said on Friday the European Union would not accept “artificial deadlines” in talks on a future relationship with Britain.

On Thursday, the British government said it would walk away from talks on a future relationship with the EU if there has not been “good progress” in the negotiations by June.

“We do not accept time pressure,” Montchalin told an audience at Chatham House in London, according to Reuters.

The EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier on Thursday noted Britain’s negotiating mandate but said ahead of talks starting next week that the bloc would stick to the political declaration agreed last year.