The deadline for Brexit is 39 days away.
President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker has stressed the reality that a no deal Brexit will result in a hard border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
In an interview with Sophie Ridge of Sky News, Juncker said "Yes. We have to make sure that the interests of the European Union and the internal market will be preserved. An animal entering Northern Ireland without border control can enter, without any kind of control, the European Union via the southern party of the Irish island.
"This will not happen. We have to preserve the health and safety of our citizens."
Juncker went on to say that "the EU is in no way responsible for any kind of consequences entailed by the Brexit, that's a British decision."
This news seems to have come as a surprise to political commentators and journalists in the United Kingdom, even though this line of reasoning is exactly why the EU has been calling for a backstop for years.
Juncker will be leaving his position as President of the European Commission on 31 October, the same date as the deadline for Brexit.
As things stand, the UK will be crashing out of the EU without a deal, which will likely lead to chaos, confusion and a return to a hard border on the island of Ireland.
