"The United Kingdom with difficulties joined the European Union, had difficulties as part of it and now will have a hard time leaving it," Meshkov said at the Valdai Discussion Club.
Meshkov stressed that because the United Kingdom was deeply integrated within the European Union's economics, breaking these ties would be challenging.
"It would be the main stumbling block in the Brexit negotiations," Meshkov added.
On June 23, UK citizens voted in a referendum to leave the European Union. According to the final results, 51.9 percent of voters, or 17.4 million people, supported Brexit. On March 29, UK Prime Minister Theresa May triggered Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty outlining the country's exit from the European Union, which is scheduled to be concluded within two years from the withdrawal launch.
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