EU governments approve the Brexit deal

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that the European Union governments approved today the trade deal that regulates relations between the 27-nation European Union and Britain, paving the way for its temporary implementation as of January 1. Maas, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, added on Twitter, "I am pleased that all the twenty-seven European Union countries have given approval.

By uniting efforts, we have succeeded in preventing chaos in the year." The interim trade agreement is due to be signed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Union President Charles Michel on Wednesday, and the European Parliament is also slated to ratify it by the end of February.