Ireland's prime minister Leo Varadkar and European Council President Donald Tusk met in Dublin on Tuesday ahead of the critical European Summit in Brussels later this week.

In a statement issued shortly after the meeting, Varadkar said that:

• President Tusk expressed the strong and ongoing solidarity with Ireland of the European Council and European leaders.
• They agreed that we must now see what proposals emerge from London in advance of the European Council meeting in Brussels on Thursday.
• Meanwhile, preparations continue in Ireland and across the European Union for a no deal scenario, which would have serious consequences for all concerned.