The European Union and the United Kingdom are giving themselves one last chance to unblock the Brexit negotiations by Sunday.

But Wednesday evening, three hours of discussions between Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen did not allow positions to be brought together ...

It went wrong and the two leaders did not hide it.

On Wednesday evening, the three hours of talks between Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen failed to find common ground on Brexit, and, for the first time, they issued separate press releases at the end of the evening.

According to Downing Street, the discussions were frank - lively, even, according to the president of the European Commission.

>> Find Europe Matin in replay and podcast here

"Wide ditches"

No note of optimism at the end of the Brussels dinner.

“Our positions remain very distant,” notes Ursula von der Leyen.

"Not sure that these wide gaps can be bridged," adds Boris Johnson's entourage.

London and Brussels are still stuck on three subjects, the same since March: European access to British waters, how to settle disputes in the future agreement and the guarantees demanded of London by the EU in terms of competition in exchange for access without customs duties or quotas to its market.

>> READ ALSO -

 Brexit: for Michel Barnier, the conditions for an agreement are "not met"

No one seems to believe it anymore, but no one said "it's over".

The negotiation teams will therefore get back to work, once again, yet exhausted after all these sessions in recent weeks.

Sunday decision

The next crucial meeting is for Sunday: "We will make a decision", writes in black and white Ursula von der Leyen.

According to a European diplomat, the Commission will publish in the next few hours what are called contingency measures, which concern, for example, transport.

These are measures that will take effect on January 1 to ease the shock, in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

Ursula von der Leyen is expected to present an assessment of this meeting of more than three hours at a summit scheduled for Thursday and Friday in Brussels with the leaders of the Twenty-Seven, who will play a decisive role in the decision.

France has threatened a veto if the deal does not suit it.

The UK, which officially left the EU on January 31, will abandon the single market and customs union for good on December 31.