EU warns of retaliation as post-Brexit talks with U.K. stall

A senior European Union official has expressed frustration after talks with the U.K. broke up without resolving differences over the implementation of their post-Brexit trade deal in Northern Ireland

LONDON -- A top European Union official said Wednesday that Britain could face retaliatory tariffs or other sanctions after talks failed to resolve an increasingly heated dispute over implementation of their post-Brexit trade deal in Northern Ireland. Maros Sefcovic, the EU’s chief negotiator, said the relationship between the two sides had reached a “crossroads” amid the U.K.’s continued failure to live up to its obligations under the Brexit agreement. “Trust, which should be at the heart of every partnership, needs to be restored,” Sefcovic told reporters after the talks. “That is the EU approach and the EU preference. If the U.K. were to take further unilateral action over the coming weeks, the EU will not be shy in reacting swiftly, firmly and resolutely to ensure that the U.K. abides by its international law obligations.” Sefcovic met with his British counterpart, David Frost, amid rising tensions over provisions of the Brexit deal that essentially created a regulatory border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom. That angered many pro-British residents of the territory who reject anything that threatens their status as part of the U.K.