Our important task is to prevent no deal Brexit: Donald Tusk

The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk mulled what a "special place in hell looks like" for those who promoted Brexit, "without even a sketch of a plan guiding, how to carry it out safely". Tusk made these remarks after meeting with Ireland's Prime Minister, or Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar on Wednesday. The stakes are high, as the UK is slated to leave the European Union on March 29, 2019, with no deal in sight due to the British Parliament rejecting the previously negotiated treaty with the European Union (EU) by a large margin. "Today our most important task is to prevent a no deal scenario," Tusk noted on February 6, adding that the EU would not be making any new offer.

"Let me recall that the December European Council decided that the Withdrawal Agreement is not open for renegotiation," the President highlighted. He further said, "I hope that tomorrow we will hear from Prime Minister May a realistic suggestion on how to end the impasse, in which the process of the orderly withdrawal of the UK from the EU has found itself, following the latest votes in the House of Commons." The EU further insisted on the backstop for Northern Ireland, despite the fears put forth by British Members of Parliament regarding the same.

"Give us a believable guarantee for peace in Northern Ireland, and the UK will leave the EU as a trusted friend," Tusk warned in a statement released after the meeting. Tusk further put forth, " I hope that the UK government will present ideas that will both respect this point of view and, at the same time, command a stable and clear majority in the House of Commons. I strongly believe that a common solution is possible, and I will do everything in my power to find it." He also outlined that talks were held between him and Varadkar over a no-deal "fiasco".

Lastly, the President added, "By the way, I've been wondering what that special place in hell looks like, for those who promoted Brexit, without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out safely." In 2016, over 50 per cent of the UK electorate had voted to leave the EU, following which the British government had triggered Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, beginning the country's process of exiting from the bloc. 

(With inputs from agencies.)