Britain is bringing out big guns in the case of Brexit without a deal.
The Sun says four Royal Navy ships will be used to protect UK waters from EU fishing boats if the two sides fail to reach a nearly $ 1 trillion trade agreement by the December 31 deadline.
Two will be at sea by January 1; The other two are on standby, ready to leave with a few hours notice.
Fishing – especially France’s right to fish in the British Ocean – has been a key point in several months of negotiations. On Friday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and EU senior official Ursula van der Leyen agreed that the chances of reaching an agreement were slim.
Gunships patrol the English Channel and the Irish Sea, and – if no agreement is made – intercept any EU boats. Navy ships, in the most severe cases, would seize an EU boat and then take it to a nearby British port.
“No one is going to fire warning shots against French fishermen,” a naval native told the Guardian. “Guns are used only when life is in danger.”