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Speaking after a meeting of European leaders in Austria, the head of the European Council said he was “a little more optimistic” on the chances of getting a Brexit deal and pushed for “maximum progress and results in October”. A possible extraordinary November summit could then be used to “finalise and formalise a deal” he said.
Mr Tusk said any withdrawal agreement could only be struck with a “solid, operational and legally binding backstop” to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland. [...]
“The Irish question remains our priority. We need not only good will. We need a tough, clear and precise guarantees”, said Mr Tusk.
Earlier on Thursday, Mrs May made clear to Leo Varadkar, the Irish premier, that Britain would not be able to resolve negotiations on the Irish border before the October EU summit — raising the risks of a serious confrontation in coming weeks.
Mr Tusk said that without positive movement on the Irish question, he would not call a meeting in November to “finalise and formalise” the Brexit agreement.
He also warned that the EU was not willing to compromise on its four freedoms, pouring cold water on parts the UK’s future relationship plans laid out at Chequers. [...]
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Remarks by President Donald Tusk after the Salzburg informal summit
Statement by President Donald Tusk on the Brexit negotiations
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