Merkel: Deal w/ UK In Everyone's Interest But EU Must Prepare For No Deal

German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaking a day before the crunch European Council summit in Brussels says that reaching a deal with the UK on an FTA is in everybody's interest.

• Adds, as many others have, that the EU is united behind negotiator Barnier in his efforts to reach a deal in the short time remaining.
• Says that the EU and its member state must prepare for the prospect of no deal being made and the UK reverting to WTO trading terms with the EU.
• Story in Politico this morning highlighted the differing stances of EU's two most powerful leaders re: Brexit. Merkel viewed as the dealmaker who is more polite to the UK and is willing to make some compromises, arguing it is better to have the UK "in [the EU], but if not, then close".
• French President Emmanual Macron on the other hand is willing to be more combative, seeing a heightened geopolitical role for the EU without the UK [often a drag on EU efforts to act on the geopolitical stage], while also facing more political pressure domestically not to give the UK an easy ride in talks.