The EU has said there is no basis
for any further Brexit talks while the UK continues to insist on making
changes to Theresa May's withdrawal agreement.
EU negotiators told
European diplomats changes suggested by the new UK government, such as
scrapping the Irish border backstop, were unacceptable.But Downing Street is rejecting claims it wanted talks to fail to allow a no-deal Brexit to be pushed through.
A spokesperson said they hoped the EU would rethink its refusal of changes.
They said the EU "needed to change its stance", as Mrs May's deal will not pass through Parliament in its current form.
They added: "We will throw ourselves into the negotiations with the greatest energy and the spirit of friendship and we hope the EU will rethink its current refusal to make any changes to the withdrawal agreement."
The plan negotiated between the EU and former Prime Minister Mrs May was voted down by MPs three times.
An EU negotiator told the meeting on Sunday: ""With only a few weeks to go we are back where we were three years ago."
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pledged to "do or die", and leave the EU by the deadline of 31 October, with or without a deal.
A senior EU diplomat said in the meeting that a no-deal Brexit appears to be the UK government's "central scenario", according to the Daily Telegraph and the Guardian.
"It was clear UK does not have another plan. No intention to negotiate, which would require a plan," the diplomat is reported to have said.
BBC Brussels reporter Adam Fleming said the meeting between the officials and diplomats was a debrief from discussions last week between the EU, UK Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay and Mr Johnson's European envoy, David Frost.
Mr Frost reiterated the prime minister's stance that the backstop element of Mrs May's plan - which aims to prevent a hard border returning between Ireland and Northern Ireland - had to be abolished.
The backstop - agreed by Mrs May in November 2018 - would see Northern Ireland staying aligned to some rules of the EU single market.
Mr Frost said Mr Johnson's new ministers were not bound by commitments made by the previous government.
One of the EU's Brexit negotiators told the meeting that the G7 summit in France at the end of August could mark the point where a no-deal Brexit becomes inevitable.
A diplomat at the meeting told Adam Fleming the negotiator's comments simply reflected the speech Mr Johnson gave in the Commons the day after he became prime minister.
'Britain is desperate'
Mr Hancock said MPs had a chance to stop the outcome a number of times in recent weeks, but had failed to vote it through.But prominent pro-EU Conservative Dominic Grieve said there were still a number of options available to MPs to block a no deal - including bringing down the government with a vote of no confidence, and setting up a new government in its place.
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