EU and UK must talk so they can agree to an amicable divorce

When the G20 leaders met in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, in early September, the message was delivered to British Prime Minister Theresa May and European leaders that it would be in the interests of everyone if the divorce of the United Kingdom from the European Union proceeded smoothly.

It seems that the EU and the UK leaders have failed to heed that message.

About 100 days after the referendum in the UK on whether the county should remain a member of the EU or leave it, senior officials of both sides are squaring up to each other over the terms of the divorce. For example, EU leaders have since met twice, without a British presence, and insist that the ball is now in the UK's court. It is up to London, they say, to press the exit button.