The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, on Tuesday described negotiations over the terms of Britain’s withdrawal from the bloc as “the toughest stress test,” for the European Union.
“As for the Brexit negotiations, we have managed to build and maintain unity among the 27, but ahead of us is still the toughest stress test.
“If we fail it, the negotiations will end in our defeat.
“We must keep our unity regardless of the direction of the talks,’’ Tusk said during a debate in the EU parliament.
He added that the outcome was up to Britain.
“It is in fact up to London how this will end, with a good deal, no deal or no Brexit,’’ he said.
Both sides have met five times to agree on the terms of Britain’s withdrawal, but have only made incremental progress.
More talks are set to happen over the next two months.