The two sides are at loggerheads over the section of the Brexit withdrawal agreement which has effectively kept the province in the single market. This has led to checks between it and the rest of the UK, outraging its Unionist community for creating a border in the Irish Sea.

       With the Protocol issue unresolved, parts of the community have been blamed for leading several nights of violence across Northern Ireland.

       Boris Johnson and his Brexit Secretary Lord Frost are keen to resolve the issue but have so far rejected the EU’s offers.

       A key sticking point is the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) - something which they say the UK can never accept.

       Similarly, the EU has insisted that this point of the withdrawal agreement is not up for negotiation.

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       All this led a senior EU official to warn the UK this week as it inches towards triggering Article 16 - which would unilaterally suspend the checks.

       They said: “If it comes, what will matter is what (checks Lord) Frost revokes.

       “If it is substantial so will be the EU response. If it is cosmetic the same will apply.

       “We are not going to suddenly suspend the trade deal unless the action is so egregious it cannot be ignored such as unilaterally stripping out the European Court of Justice.”

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       It provoked a furious reaction from many Express.co.uk readers.

       GB Wrinkly said: “Stop the threats to trigger A16 and JUST DO IT.

       “Enough is enough, the UK has bent over backwards in accommodating the EU unelected Luddites.”

       User UKHomeofTheRighteous wrote: “The UK says the ECJ oversight must go.

       “The EU says it should stay. The UK invokes Article 16. The EU introduces punitive measures including tariffs.

       “At this point, the TCA becomes worthless so the UK walks away from it.

       “The world sees that trying to do a FTA (free trade agreement) with the EU is a waste of time, it can't agree a deal with its closest neighbour and largest trade partner.

       “Some time later, a TCA version 2 bereft of all political alignments and ECJ oversight is discussed.

       “Meantime the UK sets up bilateral deals with individual EU nations friendly towards the UK and fed up with the EU's antics.”

       An account called Flash wrote: “First (Emmanuel) Macron and now (Simon) Coveney speak for the EU?

       “I don't think so. ROI (Republic of Ireland) should have been more open when thrashing out a deal in the first place rather than allowing itself to be used by the EU.

       “Well, judgement day is dawning and the reality is a far cry from the utopia you were sold.”