PARIS, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- France's European Affairs Minister Amelie de Montchalin said on Thursday that the UK's departure from the European Union (EU) without an amicable divorce agreement is still a "strong possibility" even if British lawmakers have approved legislation to delay Brexit and stop the country from leaving the EU without a deal.
"It's not because a problem is complicated that by diluting it over time and delaying it for three months without changing anything it will be resolved," de Montchalin told local broadcaster Radio Classique.
"Our role is to be ready for all scenarios. An exit without agreement on Oct. 31 is a very strong possibility," she said.
On Wednesday, lawmakers in London voted in favor of a bill to stop the UK from leaving the European bloc without an accord on Oct. 31, in a way forcing Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson to seek a further three-month extension to the Brexit deadline.
"When I hear the British saying 'Give us three months more and we will solve the problem,' we can see that another six months would not solve the problem, nor would another three months. They have to be able to tell us what they want," the minister noted.
"We know what they don't want but we are still struggling to understand what they do want," she added, calling on the British to come out with "concrete proposals" as the situation is still "a bit blocked."
The British public voted to leave the EU in a 2016 referendum. Their departure was initially scheduled for March 29 this year, but it has already been delayed twice due to failure by Britain's Parliament to agree on how the country should leave the EU.
