Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures during a meeting with health professionals during his visit to the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, Britain, August 19, 2019. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday called on Germany and France to compromise on Brexit, cautioning that the United Kingdom would be ready to leave the European Union without a deal on Oct. 31 if necessary.

“We will be ready to come out on Oct. 31 - deal or no deal,” Johnson told reporters. “Of course, our friends and partners on the other side of the Channel are showing a little bit of reluctance to change their position - that’s fine - I am confident that they will.”

When asked what his visit later this week to Berlin and Paris would achieve, Johnson said: “I hope that they will compromise - they have seen that the UK parliament has three times rejected the Withdrawal Agreement, the backstop just doesn’t work, it is not democratic. I hope they will see fit to compromise.”

“I want a deal, we are ready to work with our friends and partners to get a deal but if you want a good deal for the UK you must simultaneously get ready to come out without one,” Johnson said.