EU needs to prepare for hard Brexit: Official

Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, called on the European Union to prepare for a hard Brexit, Rte.ie reported citing sources. Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, said that the current Withdrawal Agreement for Britain to leave the EU is "not open for renegotiation." Officials said that the EU and the United Kingdom could set a target date to agree to a free trade deal after the end of the post-Brexit transition period and remove the need for a "backstop" clause in the Brexit agreement.

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