EU Leaders Say 'No Renegotiation' on UK Membership in EU After Brexit Vote

The United Kingdom will not be able to renegotiate the terms of its membership in the European Union after a historic vote that saw its exit from the project, four EU leaders said in a joint statement Friday.

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) – EU Council President Donald Tusk, EU Parliament President Martin Schulz, EU Council Presidency holder and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, as well as European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, collectively stressed they "regret" but respect the outcome of the Brexit referendum.

"As agreed, the ‘New Settlement for the United Kingdom within the European Union,’ reached at the European Council on 18-19 February 2016, will now not take effect and ceases to exist. There will be no renegotiation," the leaders said.

The UK should swiftly launch the process of withdrawing from the EU after Thursday's referendum, they said in a statement.

"We now expect the United Kingdom government to give effect to this decision of the British people as soon as possible, however painful that process may be. Any delay would unnecessarily prolong uncertainty," reads the statement, signed by Tusk, Schulz, Rutte and Juncker.

On Thursday, the United Kingdom held a referendum to determine whether or not the country should leave the European Union. According to the final results, 51.9 percent of voters, or 17.4 million people, decided to support Brexit, while about 16.1 million opposed it.