An EU source characterised a conversation last week between foreign secretary Liz Truss and EU commission vice president Maros Sefcovic as 'horrendous'.
But the EU source suggested it was worse than that, describing the call as"horrendous" and adding that they had"seldom seen Sefcovic so cross and so upset"."The UK says this about democracy and avoiding potential civil war, on the other side the EU says there is a deal you should implement - it's not true or fair to say we are being rigid or intransigent."The UK is asking for the kind of flexibility that has been offered to Ukraine.
But that means customs checks on some goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain - effectively a border in the Irish Sea separating the two. Northern Ireland's main unionist party, the DUP, has said it will not take part in a power-sharing devolved government with Sinn Fein unless what it has described as"the poison of the protocol" is removed.
Mr Coveney, who was in Brussels on Monday, warned that the entire UK-EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement deal - the TCA - could be jeopardised if Mr Johnson takes unilateral action.
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