As London softens on pace of Brexit, Brussels appears to harden

Dawn breaks behind the Houses of Parliament and the statue of Winston Churchill the day after the Brexit vote in Westminster, London June 24, 2016. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Just as London appears to be coming round to the idea that it will need a temporary transitional agreement with Brussels to smooth its exit from the European Union, it may find the position of European leaders has hardened.

For months the working assumption in Brussels has been that it would be impossible to manage Britain's exit from the EU by a 2019 deadline without a temporary transitional deal to govern trade terms until a final arrangement can be hammered out.