Boris Johnson to talk Brexit with von der Leyen as trade negotiations end

LONDON — U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson will speak to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Saturday afternoon to take stock of the final formal round of Brexit trade talks and to “discuss next steps,” Downing Street said.

The call will come after a meeting between the U.K.’s and EU’s chief negotiators, David Frost and Michel Barnier, in Brussels this morning, which will wrap up the ninth formal round of the future relationship negotiations.

A No. 10 Downing St spokesperson said Friday: “The PM will be speaking to President von der Leyen tomorrow afternoon to take stock of negotiations and discuss next steps.”

Johnson previously set an October 15 deadline for a resolution to the talks, threatening to walk away and accept that the U.K. will leave the standstill Brexit transition period on December 31 without a free-trade agreement with its biggest economic partner.

The European Council is expected to discuss Brexit at its meeting on October 15 and 16.

Trade talks remain stalled on key issues, including future access to fisheries and EU concerns that the U.K.’s post-Brexit state subsidies plans could undermine the so-called level playing field in the European single market.

The two sides are expected to continue talking beyond Friday’s end of the formal negotiating period. There had been speculation they would enter the critical “tunnel” phase of intensive talks next week, but an EU official told POLITICO London Playbook on Thursday night: “It’s not time for the tunnel yet. Maybe at the end of the month. You need two to tunnel.”

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