Berlin is warning other EU members to prepare for a no-deal Brexit, believing positions are far apart and time too short for an agreement.
That's according to an internal government document seen by Reuters.
Lucy Fielder reports.
Get ready for no-deal Brexit, Germany warns EU
Prepare for a no-deal Brexit, is the message from the German government to other EU states.
That's according to an internal document from Berlin seen by Reuters.
It casts doubt on Britain's optimism that there'll be an early deal on its future relations with the bloc.
Britain quit the European Union at the end of January, and is now in a transition phase.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he has no intention of extending the transition beyond 2020, and he's impatient for a deal.
This was Johnson on Monday: "Well what we already said today is that the faster we can do this, the better.
We see no reason why you shouldn't get that done in July and the issue is very clear." The German government document, dated June 15, says Britain is "escalating threats in Brussels" and wants to settle as much as possible, as quickly as possible.
It expected negotiations to enter a "hot phase" from September and that there would be no transition.
So contingency planning for a no-deal Brexit should start right away.
There are concerns in Brussels that its position and that of London remain far apart.
And with no transition and so little time left to negotiate, a cliff edge looms that could cause serious economic damage.