British PM steps up her lobbying

British Prime Minister Theresa May stepped up her lobbying efforts Friday to broaden Brexit negotiations with the European Union to include future relations and trade, as the talks remained bogged down on the divorce bill and other preliminary issues.

May said she would hold a number of meetings in Brussels, including with EU Council President Donald Tusk, about progress in the talks, which must be completed well before Britain leaves the bloc in March 2019.

She will also meet the leaders of Belgium, Denmark and Lithuania.

May sidestepped questions about how much Britain would be willing to pay to settle its EU financial accounts, saying her talks will look “ahead to the future deep and special partnership that I want with the European Union.”

Britain has suggested that it would be willing to pay around 20 billion euros ($billion) to settle the divorce bill, while the Europeans are seeking anywhere from 60-100 billion euros ($billion) to clear London’s tab.

May said Britain and the EU “must step forward together.”

But EU leaders are set to decide in three weeks if the negotiations have made “sufficient progress” - on the divorce bill, the status of Irish borders and the rights of citizens hit by Brexit - for the talks to be expanded. Currently, it seems unlikely that will happen.