Tusk talks money, Ireland first

Brussels, April 28: EU president Donald Tusk said on Friday that Britain must first settle the divorce issues of “people, money and Ireland” before any talks on a post-Brexit trade deal.

In a letter to the other 27 European Union leaders ahead of a key summit on Saturday, Tusk said that “before discussing our future, we must first sort out our past.”

The EU 27 are set to adopt guidelines for the negotiations on Brexit at the summit, following British Prime Minister Theresa May’s formal triggering of divorce month.

Former Polish premier Tusk said the “only possible approach” was phased talks, in which Britain the two-year process last must make “sufficient progress” on the divorce issues before negotiations on future ties.

“This is not only a matter of tactics, but -- given the limited time frame we have to conclude the talks - it is the only possible approach,” Tusk wrote to the leaders.

“I would like us to unite around this key principle during the upcoming summit, so that it is clear that progress on people, money and Ireland must come first,” he wrote.

“And we have to be ready to defend this logic during the upcoming negotiations.”

May wants to discuss the divorce settlement and a trade deal at the same time ahead of Britain’s exit from the bloc in March 2019.

WHAT BREXIT MUST SETTLE AT TALKS