Today's Downing Street talks between prime minister Tony Blair and Gerry Adams may provide the first Sinn Féin and British responses to DUP threats to disrupt talks about the restoration of powersharing,writes Frank Millar, London Editor.
The DUP has warned the British government it may not participate in talks about the restoration of devolved government to Northern Ireland for two years.
And it is threatening to extend this by way of a series of time "penalties", if London makes what unionists regard as further "concessions" to Sinn Féin in response to last week's IRA statement.
The possibility of a protracted political stalemate was spelt out to Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain by a DUP delegation led by party leader the Rev Ian Paisley at a meeting in London yesterday.
Mr Hain confirmed the DUP had put its views about planned demilitarisation measures in the North "extremely strongly and critically", while maintaining he and it could "make progress together".
And while telling Mr Hain of unionist "anger" at the proposed disbandment of the Royal Irish Regiment, Dr Paisley appeared to strike a possible conciliatory note ahead of this morning's meeting with Mr Blair. Having said the IRA was "having its own way" since declaring its campaign at an end, Dr Paisley said he wanted "a firm declaration" from the British government that it would hold to its previously declared position in respect of full verification of IRA weapons decommissioning, the ending of all paramilitary and criminal activities, and the absence of a place in government for any armed force.
However, the hardline position on talks was spelt out by his deputy, Peter Robinson, who said: "The prospects of a return to devolution have been damaged very considerably by the actions of this government. The community in Northern Ireland is outraged at what the government has done."
And he said the DUP would hold Mr Blair "to the letter" of what had been previously agreed about IRA decommissioning and the "transparency" of that process. "It requires the IRA to go out of business forever," declared Mr Robinson.
Until last week's IRA statement it appears London believed Dr Paisley would agree the resumption of talks about powersharing devolution after a "testing" period of six months, during which time there will be two reports from the Independent Monitoring Commission.
Senior DUP sources last night confirmed they were now talking about a delay of at least two years.
And they warned it could be longer if London goes ahead with proposals to effectively pardon paramilitary fugitives.
During yesterday's meeting with Mr Hain, the DUP specifically raised the possibility that the so-called Colombia Three might benefit from this proposal. They reportedly warned that a further time "penalty" would result from any announcement about revitalising cross-Border bodies. And they apparently surprised Mr Hain when they challenged proposals for the recruitment of community service officers - favoured by the PSNI - which the DUP suspects are intended to bypass provisions for recruitment to the part-time reserve and might be open to persons with convictions for terrorist offences. Mr Hain also met relatives of the Shankill bombing victims.
Mr Hain said he agreed with the DUP it was "absolutely essential to get verification that criminality and paramilitary activity will be rooted out of Northern Ireland's politics".