The European Union agreed in principle on Wednesday to postpone the date of Brexit Brexit until the end of the month, but did not specify the duration.

The news agency AFP quoted an EU source that everyone agreed to the extension to avoid Brexit without agreement, while "the duration of the extension is still under discussion."

European Council President Donald Tusk recommended that EU leaders agree to postpone the departure of Britain from its scheduled date of 31 October until 31 January.

But some European capitals, especially Paris, prefer a shorter extension to help British Prime Minister Boris Johnson put forward the Brexit agreement.

If the EU does not agree, an EU summit will be called next Monday, but the source said EU members "strongly prefer" a written decision these days, as EU representatives plan to meet again on Friday.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Faradkar told Tusk by telephone that he supported the date of January 31.

British lawmakers had earlier agreed in principle to the Brexit implementation law, but rejected the prime minister's request to expedite the agreement within three days, opening the door for a postponement of Brexit.

Johnson sent a request for a delay of only three months because he had to do so under a law passed by lawmakers, but still insists that Britain will leave the European Union at the end of this month.

Johnson has threatened to withdraw the deal from parliament and demand early legislative elections if lawmakers refuse to set a timetable for a swift passage of the text.

Since returning from Brussels with a hard-negotiated withdrawal agreement with the 27 countries, the prime minister has been in danger of thwarting his projects by lawmakers unwilling to pursue the approach he is trying to impose on them to avoid secession without an agreement days before the departure date or postponement.

A disorderly Brexit is likely to lead to border chaos and a shortage of food and medicine, which could encourage Europeans to give London a delay that could allow the current crisis to be resolved by early elections.