Things said in public during negotiations are part of the negotiations. This is said publicly just before Friday talks is to signal firmness to EU. The hope is that EU backs off.<p>If EU negotiators don't give anything more, UK position collapses unless they really intent to go on with No-Deal Brexit.<p>No-deal hurts UK more than EU, so I don't see why EU would flinch. Maybe they allow wording that allows Johnson to pretend he got something.