Ireland has accused British Prime Minister Theresa May of wishful thinking for seeking to renegotiate a post-Brexit arrangement for the Irish border.
The renegotiations are part of an attempt to get backing for Britain's EU divorce deal in parliament.
Other European Union leaders quickly dismissed the idea of reopening the deal, saying the Irish "backstop" was not negotiable, shortly after parliament instructed May to do just that in a vote on Tuesday.
Two weeks after overwhelmingly rejecting the deal May had agreed in Brussels in two years of talks, a 317-310 majority in parliament demanded she secure a replacement for the backstop.
The backstop is an insurance policy that aims to prevent a hard border being erected between Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Ireland's foreign minister Simon Coveney said Britain had not offered any feasible way to keep the border open.
"What we are being asked to do here is to compromise on a solution that works, and to replace it with wishful thinking," he said.
France said there would be no renegotiation of the deal already agreed.
European Council President Donald Tusk, due to hold a call with May at 5.45pm Wednesday GMT (4.45am Thursday AEDT), referred to the backstop in saying the deal was "not open for renegotiation".
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker stuck to the same line, adding that Brussels still did not know what Britain wanted and that the chances of a "no-deal" exit had increased.
Currency traders also took that view as sterling traded around $US1.307, more than a cent down from the level reached before MPs voted on Tuesday.
Germany's foreign minister Heiko Maas said the British government "must now say quickly what it wants, because time is running out".
"We are ready to talk," he said.
"Our position is clear: the Withdrawal Agreement is the best and only solution for an orderly exit."
While the EU has repeatedly refused to reopen the divorce deal, EU sources said additional clarifications, statements or assurances on the backstop might be possible.
May has said she needs more - a legally binding change. She aims to get parliament's approval for a revised deal on February 13.
If that fails, parliament will vote on next steps on February 14.
Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who favours a much closer relationship with the EU, built around a customs union, met May to discuss Brexit.
"Jeremy made the case for our alternative plan," a Labour spokesperson said, adding that the tone had been "serious and engaged" and that the two had agreed to meet again.
If May cannot get a deal agreed, the default option would be to exit the EU abruptly with no deal at all, which businesses say would cause chaos and disrupt supply chains for basic goods.
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