French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday told British Prime Minister Boris Johnson there was not enough time to negotiate a new Brexit deal.
But he has backed German Chancellor Angela Merkel's suggestion for the UK to come up with alternatives to the Irish border backstop within 30 days.
"What Chancellor Merkel said yesterday, and which is in line with the substance of our talks, is that we need visibility in 30 days," Macron told reporters standing alongside Johnson.
"Nobody is going to wait until October 31 without trying to find a good solution."