Britain’s talks on a trade deal with the EU have ‘effectively ended’ and the stubbornness of Brussels is to be blamed for that, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson told his Greek counterpart.
The stalled talks on the Brexit trade deal were among the subjects discussed in a phone call between Johnson and Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Tuesday.
During the conversation, the British prime minister “reaffirmed that the EU have effectively ended those negotiations by stating they did not want to change their negotiating position,” Johnson’s office said.
BIG “Should the EU fundamentally change their position, then the UK would be willing to talk on that new basis.”
Also on Tuesday, UK’s Junior Business Minister Nadhim Zahawi insisted that any talks with Brussels were pointless until it treats Britain “as an equal, as a sovereign.”
The EU leaders earlier pointed out that they were eager to reach a deal with London, but not at any price. The block remains reluctant to give in to what it calls UK “pressure,” stating that Britain needs the agreement more than Europe.
If the UK leaves the European Single Market and European Union Customs Union on January 1, 2021 without a deal, it would have to do business in accordance to World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. This will likely trigger a spike in prices in Britain.
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