The EU has promised to find a flexible solution to avoid a hard border between the Republic and the North after Brexit.

European Council president Donald Tusk has given the remaining member states draft guidelines on their negotiation stance.

He says they want to make sure there's a stable transition at the UK's only land border with the EU:

Donald Tusk also says the EU won't try to punish the UK as it leaves the union - because Brexit itself is punishment enough.

However he added that the British request for immediate trade talks during negotiations won't happen and that sufficient progress on the UK's withdrawal from the EU must be made before any new trade deal.