EU rejects UK’s request for weekend talks on Brexit amid looming deadline - Reports

The Guardian reported late on Friday, citing the EU officials, that Brussels had found no grounds for such negotiations as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisted on a customs border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

"The UK often asks for meetings to keep [the] process going; we agree we should leave no stone unturned. But there is nothing useful that could be done this weekend," an EU official told the newspaper.

A senior EU diplomat told the outlet that if Brussels and London were negotiating the Brexit deal over the weekend, it would look like they had "proper negotiations."

"The truth is we’re still along way from that. We need to work out quickly whether there is the opportunity to close that gap," the diplomat argued.

On Wednesday, Johnson revealed a new plan to replace the previously rejected Irish border backstop in a bid to ensure that the United Kingdom leaves the European Union after the October 31 deadline with an agreement. Notably, the prime minister has insisted that London would withdraw the bloc after the deadline with or without a deal.

Johnson's new proposals revolve around the creation of an all-Ireland regulatory framework on cross-border trade, something that would ideally ensure Northern Ireland exits the EU customs union along with the rest of the UK while still ensuring compliance with European standards on goods.

The proposals have been criticized both in the European Union and in Ireland. While Brussels said the proposals lacked basis for clinching a deal, Dublin insisted that the plan fell short in a number of aspects.