DOWNING Street has failed to dispel the notion, raised by Germany’s finance minister, that Britain might have to continue to pay into EU coffers even after Brexit has happened.

In an interview with the Finanical Times, Wolfgang Schaeuble said: “Until the UK’s exit is complete, Britain will certainly have to fulfil its commitments. Possibly, there will be some commitments that last beyond the exit…even, in part, to 2030…?So we cannot grant any generous rebates.”

The Christian Democrat politician also stressed that the UK must be prepared for financial firms to leave and move to European cities given they will not have the ability to 'passport' services abroad and made clear there would be no special deal on migration if Britain wanted to stay in the single market.

“There is no à la carte menu; there is only the whole menu or none,” he declared in a hard-line message.

“Without membership of the internal market, without acceptance of the four basic freedoms of the internal market there can, of course, be no passporting, no free access for financial products or for financial actors,” he added.

Asked about Mr Schaeuble’s comments, Theresa May’s deputy spokesman replied: "We have always set out that as long as we remain members of the EU, we will fulfil the commitments and obligations to the EU.”

Asked if that meant Britain would not be paying into EU coffers once the country left the Brussels bloc, he said: “It means exactly what it means. As long as we are members of the EU we will maintain our commitments to the EU. What happens once we have left the EU is a matter for the negotiation process."

Asked if paying in post-Brexit was, therefore, a possibility, the spokesman added: “There is a negotiation to take place and we will see what comes of that.”

The Prime Minister has joined other European leaders in Berlin for talks with US President Barack Obama on his farewell visit to the continent.

No 10 confirmed that before the formal start of the talks, Mrs May had a brief conversation with Mr Obama . British sources said their "brush-by" discussion was about the ongoing relationship between the UK and Washington "rather than the US election result".

There is a growing expectation that the PM will visit Washington soon, before the January 20 inauguration, to not only have talks with Mr Obama but also with the incoming President Donald Trump.

The Berlin summit’s agenda is covering range of issues, including Islamic State, migration and Western relations with Russia.

The talks come against a backdrop of European nervousness about the election of Mr Trump, following his criticism of Nato and scepticism about climate change.

Although Brexit is not formally on the agenda, Mrs May is likely to discuss the situation with her European counterparts, including in a one-to-one meeting with Mrs Merkel later today.