May: 'Some in Brussels' Undermining Brexit Talks, Seek to Influence June 8 Vote

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Some European officials do not want the Brexit talks to be successful and beneficial for the United Kingdom, the country's Prime Minister Theresa May said Wednesday.

"The events of the last few days have shown that whatever our wishes and however reasonable the positions of Europe’s other leaders, there are some in Brussels who do not want these talks to succeed, who do not want Britain to prosper," May told reporters.

The European Commission deliberately hardened its Brexit negotiating stance, while the EU officials issued threats against the United Kingdom to affect the results of June 8 general election, May said.

"Whoever wins on the 8th of June will face one overriding task to get the best possible deal for this United Kingdom from Brexit. And in the last few days we have seen just how tough these talks are likely to be… The European Commission's negotiating stance has hardened. Threats against Britain have been issued by European politicians and officials. All of these acts have been deliberately timed to affect the result of the general election," May told reporters.

On April 26, May held a meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. According to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung newspaper, Juncker said at the end of the meeting that he was "10 times more skeptical than… before," about the chances of a successful EU-UK Brexit deal.

Earlier on Wednesday, The Financial Times newspaper reported that the European Union increased its demands regarding UK financial obligations up to some $109 billion, compared to some $64 billion announced by Juncker in early March.

According to May, London will continue to believe that a bad deal with Brussels is worse than no deal at all, though, the United Kingdom is seeking to reach a good deal and maintain deep and especial partnership with the bloc.

The United Kingdom officially began the EU withdrawal process in late March by handing a formal letter to European Council President Donald Tusk. According to Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, the United Kingdom now has two years to complete the negotiation process.

Also on Wednesday, May asked Queen Elizabeth II to dissolve the country's parliament ahead of the June snap general election, which is needed, according to the prime minister, to overcome divisions in the country's legislature, ensure successful Brexit talks with the European Union and maintain stability in the country.