The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, on the occasion of the presentation of the EU guidelines in Luxembourg on the Brexit issue, stressed that the intention is not to build a wall between the EU and Great Britain, but that London is a close friend and partner of the EU.
Given the UK's "red lines", Brexit is sure to lead to friction in trade relations. Between London and Brussels, Tusk says, there can be nothing but a free trade agreement and this will represent the first case in history in which such an agreement will weaken economic relations instead of strengthening them by making trade more complicated and expensive.
Speaking of "red lines", according to what transpires from an EU document that the "Guardian" managed to get hold of, in the speech by Prime Minister Theresa May on Brexit, it was perceived "a change of tone but not in substance ". The British prime minister warns that all the "red lines" on Britain remain standing.
While the prime minister promised clarity about London's hopes for a future commercial relationship, the document described the model you proposed as impractical and unbalanced in favor of London.
British Secretary of State David Davis said that two weeks after the crucial EU summit that should seal the Brexit transition agreement, Britain and the European Union are still conflicting on many aspects. There are about "eleven areas of difference". Of these, the Irish border is the main and most obvious issue. Other obstacles, no less important, are EU laws and the rights of EU citizens.