Tusk warns Johnson that he ‘will not co-operate on no-deal Brexit’


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European Council president Donald Tusk has warned Boris Johnson that he will not “co-operate on no-deal” ahead of a meeting between the two at the G7 summit.

Tusk also said he hoped Johnson would not go down in history as “Mr no-deal”.

Johnson is expected to set out his plans for Brexit in talks with Tusk, building on visits in recent days to the leaders of Germany and France.

Boris Johnson
The Prime Minister will speak to US president Donald Trump on the margins of the summit (Finnbarr Webster/PA)

Speaking at the summit in France before Johnson’s arrival, the former Polish prime minister said:

He will be the third British Conservative prime minister with whom I will discuss Brexit. The EU was always open to co-operation when David Cameron wanted to avoid Brexit, when Theresa May wanted to avoid a no-deal Brexit, and we will also be ready now to hold serious talks with Prime Minister Johnson. One thing I will not co-operate on is no-deal. I still hope that Prime Minster Johnson will not like to go down in history as ‘Mr no-deal’.

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He continued:

We are willing to listen to ideas that are operational, realistic and acceptable to all member states including Ireland, if and when the UK Government is ready to put them on the table.”

Johnson warned Brexit critics they are “gravely mistaken” about the UK losing its place on the world stage as he prepared for his first international summit and trade talks with US president Donald Trump.

His comments will be seen as a rebuke to Emmanuel Macron after the French president suggested that a post-Brexit trade deal with the US could see Britain as a “junior partner” in a position of “historic vassalisation”.

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