Leaders back tough stance on Brexit

The leaders of the European Union met Saturday in Brussels without Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain and unanimously endorsed guidelines to negotiate the end of British membership in the bloc.

The leaders, including Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and President François Hollande of France, backed a tough strategy on Brexit, which could eventually force the government in London to make politically awkward choices.

One of the thorniest issues is getting the U.K. to guarantee that the three million citizens of other EU nations who live in Britain and the 1.2 million Britons living in the European Union can maintain their residency rights and other entitlements. The leaders also called on Britain to meets its outstanding financial obligations to the EU.