Merkel Casts Doubt on U.K.’s Interest in Brexit Deal

(Bloomberg) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel lowered her expectations for the U.K.’s talks with the European Union and suggested Boris Johnson’s government might not be interested in coming to an agreement, according to an interview with Sueddeutsche Zeitung.

“Of course it would be in the interest of Great Britain and all of member states of the European Union to get to an orderly exit,” the newspaper cited Merkel as saying in comments for its weekend edition. “But that assumes that both sides want that.”

The point is “not our wishes, but only the reality — meaning first of all, what does Britain want.”

The U.K. would have to live with the consequences of failing to reach a deal, including “a less intertwined economy,” she was quoted saying.

The U.K. and the EU have been negotiating over the terms of a separation agreement for months and prospects for a deal aren’t clear.

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