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Britain and the EU could reach a Brexit deal by tomorrow, EU Council President Donald Tusk said on Wednesday, though others were less optimistic as talks ploughed on in Brussels in an effort to reach a deal in time for this week's European summit.
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"The basic foundations of an agreement are ready and theoretically tomorrow we could accept this deal with Great Britain," Tusk told Polish journalists in Brussels.
"Theoretically, in seven or eight hours everything should be clear,” Tusk said, though adding: "[W]ith our British partners anything is possible".
Sounding a more cautious note just hours earlier, Irish leader Leo Varadkar warned that "many issues remained to be resolved" and suggested that a more realistic target was "an agreement by the end of this month".
And briefing European commissioners, the EUs chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said "ongoing talks have been constructive but there still remains a number of significant issues to resolve."
Barnier had previously said a draft of any deal would have to be ready by early Wednesday if it was to go before European leaders at their summit, which begins on Thursday.
The UK's Brexit minister Steve Barclay described the closed-door meeting as "intensive" but confirmed Britain would ask for another Brexit extension if there was no deal by Saturday.
European officials close to the negotiations expressed cautious optimism but doubts over the idea that a detailed draft can be done in time remain, despite positive rumours driving the pound higher on currency markets.
"It's clear there can only be, at most, a political agreement tomorrow or Friday. We have not seen any texts. This is going to take more time," said one senior EU diplomat.
"I cannot imagine leaders tomorrow being able to say more than:'This doesn't look too bad and let's work with the UK to set out more details'."
Committed to leaving
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised to take the UK out of the European Union on October 31, with or without a follow-on agreement to maintain orderly economic ties with its former partners.
Johnson told his cabinet Wednesday that there was a chance of agreeing a new Brexit deal but the deal was not done yet and “there remain outstanding issues”, his spokesman said.
His Brexit minister Barclay confirmed to MPs that Johnson would on Saturday comply with a UK law requiring him to send Brussels a letter calling for a Brexit delay if no deal was found.
However, he insisted: "We're committed to leaving… on October 31. We think the best way of doing that is with a deal, to leave in a smooth and orderly way.
"That is why the team are, as we speak, involved in intensive negotiations to do that."
Many European officials are pessimistic about the chances of a rapid deal, but none publicly rule it out.
France's European Affairs Minister Amelie de Montchalin said: "Of course it is possible, it has been possible for three years."
More intense talks resumed this week after Britain had softened its stance on the customs status of Northern Ireland in order to clinch an accord before the summit.
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