A Guide to the Sticking Points in the Brexit Talks
- Financial settlement, or divorce bill, is main obstacle
- On issue of Ireland, both sides want to protect peace deal
Barnier Says Brexit Talks Have Reached 'Deadlock'
This article is for subscribers only.
The fifth round of Brexit talks ended in deadlock as the U.K. refused to show its hand on the most important separation issue: the financial settlement Britain will pay when it leaves the European Union.
Also up for debate are the rights of citizens from EU countries living in Britain and U.K. nationals in the EU, and the new U.K.-EU land border that threatens to divide Northern Ireland and the Republic. Those matters have become secondary, and there’s more goodwill on each side, but they still need to be sorted before talks can move on to trade.