Chancellor Angela Merkel and Polish president Lech Kaczynski have failed to break a deadlock on EU voting rights ahead of this week's summit.
After four hours of talks near Berlin on Saturday, President Kaczynski praised his host for not using "threats or blackmail", but said a deal was as far away as ever. "At the moment, both sides are sticking to their positions," said Mr Kaczynski.
Berlin is determined that the existing agreement on future EU voting rights stands, the Poles want to renegotiate to minimise loss of voting influence. "Our country doesn't see why we should bear the greatest cost for agreement," said Mr Kaczynski.
That remark betrays as much about the administration's view of the EU as it does about this row. The national conservative Kaczynski administration champions the view that Poland has paid a huge price over the centuries at the hands of its neighbours.
The best way for them to right these wrongs is by single-mindedly pursuing its national interests in the union.
"We will not let ourselves be fooled into believing that there is no national politics in the EU," said prime minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski recently, "because our partners pursue quite clearly this kind of politics."
Polish officials point out that, far from being a neutral mediator in the current stand-off, Germany has the most to gain from the new double majority system.
By reworking voting weights along population lines, Germany's influence increases significantly while Poland's will shrink.
German officials counter that the new voting weights will more accurately reflect population size and that, of 27 members, only Poland has a problem with the deal. Dr Merkel has not yet given up hope of reaching a compromise.
Growing up in East Germany near the Polish border, she is aware that, seared into the Polish psyche, are the concepts of the heroic victim and glory in defeat.
Consequently, she knows it makes little sense to isolate Poland ahead of the summit in the hope of prompting a change of heart through fear of failure.
But as the summit approaches, the patience of her officials is failing.
"This Polish sensitivity has little to do with real politics," said one yesterday. "We keep approaching Warsaw with good will and we keep getting slapped in the face."
Reuters adds: Czech prime minister Mirek Topolanek, Poland's only supporter among EU members, yesterday reiterated his country's backing for Warsaw after meeting Dr Merkel.
Mr Topolanek said he had told Dr Merkel the Czech Republic was prepared to veto any proposal for a treaty that was too similar to the one rejected by French and Dutch voters two years ago, but he did not expect this would be necessary.
The Czech leader also told reporters he would veto any instance of so-called "exclusivity", where one nation was able to negotiate something purely for its own benefit.
"We could not accept that," Mr Topolanek said.