BRUSSELS (AP) – European Union and British negotiators failed to reach a breakthrough in Brexit talks during a frantic all-night session and will continue seeking a compromise on the eve of Thursday’s crucial EU summit.
An EU official, who asked not to be identified because the negotiations were still ongoing, said “discussions continued until late in the night and will continue today.”
Both sides were hoping that after more than three years of false starts and sudden reversals, a clean divorce deal for Britain leaving the bloc might be sketched out within the coming hours.
Thursday’s EU leaders’ summit comes just two weeks before Britain’s scheduled departure date of Oct. 31.
Even though many questions remain, diplomats made it clear that both sides were within touching distance of a deal for the first time since a U.K. withdrawal plan fell apart in the British House of Commons in March.