This archive report was first published on 28 July 2019.
As Britain prepares to leave the European Union, Ireland is finding itself at the centre of the Brexit knot. The country's leaders have been warning that Britain's plans for a no-deal Brexit could lead to massive economic disruption and even the break-up of the United Kingdom.
Since Boris Johnson took over as Prime Minister on Wednesday, Irish leaders have been speaking out against his plans, which they say are unrealistic and could lead to a united Ireland.
"The Irish government are responding to facts on the ground as they emerge, and the fact is that Boris Johnson's current approach is leading to no deal," said Jonathan Evershed, a politics researcher at University College Cork.
Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney has also warned that Johnson's approach is putting Britain on a collision course with the European Union.
"The Irish government appears to have concluded that the new government in London is not interested in finding a deal and is making it clear that they will not be conceding either," said Duncan Morrow, a politics professor at Ulster University.
Varadkar has also warned that Johnson's plans could make the prospect of a united Ireland more likely.
"This remains a protracted game of chicken," Morrow told AFP.
As the Brexit deadline looms, Ireland's leaders are standing firm in their opposition to Britain's plans, despite criticism from the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).
