‘Strong possibility’ of no-deal Brexit?

BRUSSELS >> With a chaotic and costly no- deal Brexit three weeks away, leaders of both the European Union and United Kingdom saw an ever likelier collapse of trade talks Thursday, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson even spoke of a “strong possibility” of failure.

Both sides told their citizens to brace for a New Year’s shock, as trade between the U.K. and the European mainland could face its biggest upheaval in almost a half century.

Johnson’s gloomy comments came as negotiators sought to find a belated breakthrough in technical talks, where their leaders failed three times in political discussions over the past week.

Facing a Sunday deadline set after inconclusive talks between EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Johnson Wednesday night, both sides realized their drawnout four-year divorce might well end on bad terms.

“I do think we need to be very, very clear, there is now a strong possibility — a strong possibility — that we will have a solution that is much more like an Australian relationship with the EU,” Johnson said, using his phrasing for a nodeal exit.

Australia does not have a free trade deal with the 27-nation EU.

“That doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing,” Johnson said.

For the EU, reactions were equally pessimistic.

“I am a bit more gloomy today, as far as I can hear,” Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said at a EU summit where von der Leyen briefed the 27 leaders on her unsuccessful dinner with Johnson.

“She was not really confident that all difficulties could be resolved,” said David Sassoli, president of the EU parliament that will have to approve any deal brokered.

A cliff- edge departure would threaten hundreds of thousands of jobs and cost tens of billions of dollars in commerce.

To prepare for a sudden exit, the EU on Thursday proposed four contingency measures to make sure that at least air and road traffic would continue as smoothly as possible for the next six months.

It also proposed that anglers should still have access to each other’s waters for up to a year, to limit the commercial damage of a no- deal split. The plans depend on the U.K. offering similar initiatives. The move was indicative of how the EU saw a bad breakup as ever more realistic.

Johnson warned that “yes, now is the time for the public and businesses to get ready for Jan. 1, because, believe me, there’s going to be change either way.”