Thread by @tconnellyRTE

The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he was "very satisfied" with the EU's position on the Irish backstop at last night's summit meeting.

"We as the EU stand by the Withdrawal Agreement that was negotiated, we don't believe it's up for renegotiation, we're very keen to begin, as soon as it's ratified, talks on the future relationship, because we want to have a close relationship with the United Kingdom,"

"AS Europe we reaffirmed our commitment to the need for a backstop, and not just because it protects Ireland and ensures no hard border between NI and Ireland, thus protecting the peace process and the GFA, but also because it's a European issue too,

"...and an open border between Northern Ireland and Ireland can't become a back door into the single market."

"We can ensure that no side uses the threat of a border in Ireland as part of leverage in the future relationship talks," he said.

The Taoiseach said he was always willing "to offer clarifications, explanations, and we can discuss what form that takes, but what we won't be doing as a European Union is rengotiating the Withdrawal Agreement."

Mr Varadkar said he thought a No Deal scenario was "unlikely."