EU urges UK to uphold Brexit deal but Johnson defiant

EU urges UK to uphold Brexit deal but Johnson defiant

CARBIS BAY, United Kingdom: European leaders yesterday delivered an ultimatum to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to keep his word on Brexit to resolve a row over new trade arrangements in Northern Ireland. But Johnson defiantly restated his calls for Brussels to compromise, urging a more pragmatic approach after talks between the two sides broke down earlier this week. The UK and the European Union signed a last-gasp trade deal in December last year, just weeks before the former's departure from the European single market and customs union.

A separate agreement-the Northern Ireland protocol-was also signed to govern trade in the UK province, which shares the country's only land border with the bloc. But London has so far failed to implement full checks on goods heading into Northern Ireland from mainland Britain-England, Scotland and Wales. And it has indicated that it will extend a grace period on the delivery of British chilled meat products at the end of this month, prompting EU threats of retaliatory measures.

The row-and the spectre of what the UK press has dubbed a "sausage war“-has dogged the showpiece G7 summit in southwest England. Johnson yesterday morning held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel