U.K. remains hopeful on exit from EU

BRUSSELS — Despite having only days to bridge wide divisions over Brexit, the European Union maintained a semblance of hope Wednesday that the acrimonious fight over Britain’s departure from the bloc could somehow still be settled amicably.

Across the European Parliament, voices resonated with frustration that one of the most important events for both the EU and the U.K. in decades had turned into a tone-deaf dialogue only three weeks ahead of Britain’s planned Oct. 31 departure.

EU Commission President JeanClaude Juncker said that he was working together with EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier on a lastgasp solution.

“Personally, I don’t exclude a deal. Michel and myself are working on a deal,” Juncker said.

He refused to be more specific but made clear that Brexit talks between the two sides haven’t come to an irreparable standstill.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has vowed to take his country out of the EU on Oct. 31 with or without a divorce deal. If Britain leaves, it will be the first EU nation to exit the bloc, ending almost half a century of U.K. membership that brought economic and diplomatic clout to both sides.

For now, Juncker insisted Johnson needed to stop pouring all the blame on the EU for the negotiating standstill. On Tuesday, Johnson’s Downing Street office claimed EU intransigence had made it “essentially impossible” for the UK to leave with a deal.

“We are not accepting this blame game that started in London,” Juncker said.

Johnson, who took office in July after British lawmakers rejected the Brexit deal of his predecessor, Theresa May, three times, delivered his own Brexit proposals to the bloc last week.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said Ireland wanted a Brexit deal but “not at any cost.”