British PM Says UK Could Leave EU With a Deal as Soon as Possible

UK Prime Minister Theresa May told a news conference on Thursday that Britain could leave the European Union before the 30th of June, adding that she has been reaching out to find a way to reach an agreement on Brexit in the UK Parliament.

"I continue to believe we need to leave the EU with a deal as soon as possible", May told a press conference on the results of her meeting with European Council President Donald Tusk, during which an agreement to extend the Brexit deadline until 31 October was reached. "During the course of the extension, the European Council is clear that the UK will continue to hold full membership rights as well as its obligations", May stated.

READ MORE: Macron Says Brexit Delay Beyond 30 June Could Put EU at Risk — Reports

The prime minister also called for a national consensus on the Brexit deal "that is in the national interest […] Tomorrow, I will be making a statement to the House of Commons. Further talks will also take place between the government and the opposition to see the way forward", May pointed out.

EU members states and the United Kingdom agreed Thursday upon an extension to the Brexit deadline until 31 October, giving London an additional six months to figure out the best possible way to break the withdrawal impasse, European Council President Donald Tusk, said on Thursday.

READ MORE: Czech PM Supports UK Brexit Extension Deadline Until March 2020

However, a further delay in Britain's departure from the EU after the newly agreed deadline looks very unlikely, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told Reuters on Thursday.

"I would expect this is the last delay", Rutte said. "On October 31 the British will either have agreed to a deal, have decided to cancel Brexit or leave without a deal. But then we will have had six more months to prepare for that", Rutte told Reuters on Thursday.

May had asked Brussels for a delay until 30 June, but the European Union considered a much longer extension, even though London did not ask for it. The European Union had already given the United Kingdom a Brexit extension until 12 April, but the country's lawmakers failed to agree on the withdrawal arrangements, meaning that London could have crashed out of the bloc without an agreement on Friday.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May has advocated giving up access to the EU customs union and using the post-Brexit transition period to agree a UK-EU trade deal that would allow her country to become a global trading nation. Her plan has been rejected three times by Parliament.

READ MORE: EU Sells More to UK Than the Other Way Around — Journo on Brexit Talks