EU Not Responsible for Solving Political Crisis in UK - French Foreign Minister

PARIS (Sputnik) - The European Union should not be held responsible for resolving the internal political crisis in the United Kingdom amid the country's withdrawal from the bloc, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Friday.

"It is necessary for the British to take courage and not to bring their difficult internal situation to the European Union. It is not the European Union who should resolve the UK political crisis," the minister said on the BFMTV broadcaster.

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Following discussions on Thursday evening in Brussels, heads of the EU member states identified two scenarios for postponing Brexit, which the United Kingdom has requested. The first would be an extension until May 22, provided the withdrawal agreement is approved by the UK parliament. If lawmakers reject the deal, the deadline would only be moved until April 12. European Council President Donald Tusk said that April 12 was a key date with regard to whether or not the United Kingdom would participate in the elections to the European Parliament.

Brexit was originally scheduled for March 29, but talk of the United Kingdom getting an extension began to intensify as the date drew closer. On Wednesday, UK Prime Minister Theresa May asked the European Union to delay the deadline until June 30 but refused to follow recommendations to amend the agreement, which has already been rejected twice by parliament. On Tuesday, May promised she would submit a document to parliament in the coming days that would be put to a vote next week. She has continued to consult with political parties about the Brexit deal, but all of them have noted the lack of any progress. Labour lawmakers have refused to participate in the consultations altogether.