EU summit chair Donald Tusk called on Tuesday for the "dream" that Britain might give up on leaving the European Union not to be dismissed and urged politicians not to let exhaustion with Brexit negotiations make for a hasty exit.

Giving an account of last week's summit to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, European Council President Tusk said he was responding to a statement by one national leader who had warned "dreamers" not to think "Brexit could be reversed."

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"At this rather difficult moment in our history, we need dreamers and dreams. We cannot give in to fatalism. At least I will not stop dreaming about a better and united Europe," said Tusk, long a vocal proponent of Britain having a chance to stay.

It was not immediately clear which leader he was referring to, but French President Emmanuel Macron stood out at the summit for pushing for Britain to be given only a few weeks more to decide whether to leave on negotiated terms or without them. The summit compromised by giving Britain another six months.

"I know that, on both sides of the Channel, everyone, including myself, is exhausted with Brexit, which is completely understandable. However, this is not an excuse to say: ‘let's get it over with,' just because we're tired," said Tusk.

Meanwhile, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker also said that it is up to Britain when it chooses to exit the EU, adding that it was not his working assumption that Brexit could be reversed or extended beyond a new October 31 deadline.

The EU is on a break from Brexit and will focus on other policy matters, Juncker said in a speech on last week's Brexit summit to a plenary of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

(Cover: European Council President Donald Tusk delivers a speech during a debate on the outcome of the latest European Summit on Brexit, at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, April 16, 2019. /Reuters Photo)