BERLIN (Reuters) - The European Union's Brexit negotiator on Monday cast doubt over whether Britain and the bloc could achieve a breakthrough over Prime Minister Boris Johnson's request to remove the Irish "backstop" from a divorce deal.
"We want to put an end to the current uncertainty," Michel Barnier said during a news conference with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.
He added: "The new UK government wants us to get rid of this solution, the so-called (Irish border) backstop. I am sure you understand this is unacceptable. My mandate is clear: safeguarding peace and stability in Ireland and protecting the integrity of the single market.
"Based on current UK thinking it is difficult to see how we can arrive at a legally operative solution which fulfils all the objectives of the backstop. It is in a very sensitive and difficult phase."
(Reporting by Thomas Escritt; Writing by Joseph Nasr)