BRUSSELS (AP) — The Latest on the Brexit talks (all times local):

2:05 p.m.

EU Council President Donald Tusk says that Britain and the European Union are getting closer to a breakthrough deal on the Brexit negotiations after he reported progress on the question of the Irish border.

Tusk says he was "encouraged" after a phone conversation with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, who briefed him on progress on the outstanding issue of the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland.

Tusk wrote in a twitter message Monday that they were "getting closer to sufficient progress at December" summit of EU leaders.

If the EU leaders find there has been "sufficient progress" on Britain's divorce terms, they can let the negotiations move on to the next phase of future trade relations.

8:45 a.m.

British Prime Minister Theresa May is coming to Brussels for crucial talks on the state of Brexit negotiations, with the outcome poised to set the agenda for the divorce terms between Britain and the European Union.

May will be meeting with both EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and EU Council President Donald Tusk hoping to reach enough progress on the divorce bill it has to pay, Irish border conditions and the rights of citizens in each other's nations for the negotiations to reach the next stage and include future trade relations.

EU top Brexit officials will also be huddling among themselves looking how to get more concessions from Britain specifically on citizens' rights and the Irish border.

Britain is set to leave the EU on March 29, 2019.