Tusk says new thinking required in Brexit talks
European Council President Donald Tusk appeals to British Prime Minister Theresa May to come forward with new ideas to break the impasse in Brexit negotiations, a day ahead of a key EU summit. "The only hope for a deal for now is the good will and determination on both sides. However, for a breakthrough to take place, besides good will we need new facts," Tusk says in Brussels.
- World
- AP
- Published Date: 12:00 | 16 October 2018
- Modified Date: 09:49 | 16 October 2018
European Council President Donald Tusk says new thinking is required to end the Brexit standoff and is likening the Irish border problem to the mythical Gordian Knot that cannot be untied.
Tusk said Tuesday that "we need maybe a new method of thinking."
He says that avoiding a "hard border" between EU member Ireland and the U.K.'s Northern Ireland "looks like a new version of the Gordian Knot. Unfortunately I can't see a new version of Alexander the Great." Legend has it that the ancient Greek king used his sword to cut through the knot.
Asked by a reporter whether he was referring to former foreign secretary and Brexit champion Boris Johnson — whose first name is Alexander — Tusk said: "To compare Boris Johnson to Alexander the Great is an exaggeration, I think."