UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the situation is “very tricky” and Brexit trade talks are “very, very difficult at the moment”. “We’re willing to engage at any level political or otherwise, we’re willing to try anything,” he said. “But there are just limits beyond which, obviously, no sensible independent government or country could go.”
But Johnson also added, “you know there may come a moment when we have to acknowledge that its time to draw stumps and that’s just the way it is.” He emphasized, “we will prosper mightily under any version and if we have to go for an Australian solution then that’s fine too.” Australia currently has no free trade agreement with EU.
Johnson is expected to have a physical meeting with European commission President Ursula von der Leyen in the “coming days”. But there is no firm schedule yet. Also, von der Leyen said in a tweet yesterday, “the conditions for finalizing an agreement are not there due to the remaining significant differences on three critical issues: level playing field, governance and fisheries”.