As the global economy shudders, the Middle East boils and the Amazon rainforest burns, world leaders are convening on France's Atlantic coast for a weekend of talks few believe can solve any of it. The Group of 7 meeting comes after a volatile week that saw President Donald Trump's behavior appear ever more erratic and his position on the world stage appear ever more isolated.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he expects talks with the EU “in the coming weeks” on alternative arrangements to replace the controversial Brexit backstop for the Irish border.
And the prime minister warned that European Council president Donald Tusk could go down in history as “Mr No-Deal Brexit” if he refused to engage in talks to find an EU withdrawal agreement with the UK by the scheduled date of Brexit on 31 October.
Mr Johnson’s comments came after Mr Tusk said the EU would be ready to hold “serious talks” if the UK government came forward with realistic proposals for keeping the Irish border open without a backstop after Brexit, so long as they were acceptable to all 27 remaining member states including Ireland.
Speaking at the G7 summit in Biarritz, France – where the pair will meet on Sunday – Mr Tusk said he was unwilling to cooperate in bringing about a no-deal departure on Halloween and said he hoped Mr Johnson did not want to be “Mr No-Deal”.
Answering questions from reporters on his flight to Biarritz, Mr Johnson said: “I have made it absolutely clear I don’t want a no-deal Brexit, but I say to our friends in the EU, if they don’t want a no-deal Brexit, we’ve got to get rid of the backstop from the treaty.
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