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EU chief Donald Tusk steamrollered Theresa May's Brexit plan today hours before she arrived at a crunch summit with fellow leaders in Salzburg.

The European Council President said key parts of her Chequers blueprint need to be “reworked and further negotiated”.

It is a hammerblow to Mrs May after she said it was the EU's turn to compromise, writing in a German newspaper: "Neither side can demand something completely unacceptable from the other."

Tonight's dinner in Austria is the first of three meetings with the other 27 EU leaders before a Brexit deal is needed.

The second is an EU Council summit in mid-October before a final, special Brexit summit in November - confirmed by Mr Tusk today.

(Image: REUTERS) (Image: REX/Shutterstock) (Image: REX/Shutterstock)

Last night Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator, had prompted hope by insisting he was "ready to improve" Brussels' offer.

But Mr Barnier also made clear he intended different rules for Northern Ireland compared to the rest of the UK - something Britain has refused to accept.

That prompted the Northern Irish DUP, who prop up Theresa May's government, to reject Mr Barnier's offer as "unpalatable".

And today Mr Tusk made his view clear in a press briefing just hours before a dinner where Mrs May will bid to persuade fellow leaders to agree.

(Image: AFP)

He welcomed progress on security and said negotiations were entering the “decisive phase”.Chequers indicated a “positive evolution” in Britain's position, “as well as the will to minimise the negative effects of Brexit ”, he said.

But he went on: “On other issues, such as the Irish question, or the framework for economic cooperation, the UK's proposals will need to be reworked and further negotiated.

"Today there is perhaps more hope but there is surely less less and time. Therefore, every day that is left we must use for talks.”

According to reports, Mrs May will have just 10 minutes to make her case at tonight's dinner - and EU leaders will then only discuss it tomorrow without her.

Mr Tusk's schedule suggested he would hold a meeting with the UK Prime Minister on Thursday that would last just 15 minutes.

Earlier, former Brexit Secretary David Davis warned that EU leaders “won't give much" other than "warm words" over their meal.

He believed the EU will "pile on" extra demands on money, migration and other issues.

It came as Treasury Minister Mel Stride admitted there could be a fresh EU vote if the plan flops during a vote in Parliament later this year.

"Those to the right of the party - the pro-Brexit wing - will be very concerned that if that deal doesn't prevail, they'll end up in the situation where we could have a second referendum and we could end up not leaving the EU altogether,” he said.

"There is a danger of that happening if Chequers doesn't prevail."