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Published: 11:56 PM June 20, 2019 Updated: 6:05 PM September 17, 2020

President of the European Council Donald Tusk and Theresa May attend a round table meeting in Brussels, Belgium. (Leon Neal/PA) - Credit: PA Wire/PA Images

European Council president Donald Tusk has warned the UK that it is has 'wasted the time' it gave Westminster to find a way out of the Brexit impasse.

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Tusk was speaking to the BBC when he was asked about his thoughts on the extension the UK had been given up to find answers to Brexit - which lasts until October 31st.

He told the reporter that "when it comes to Brexit it, yes, I am afraid that you wasted the time."

He continued: "I can understand why, the internal problem, the political transformation, this is something we should respect.

"But I'm not happy with this, but I have to accept the political reality."

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Asked if he thought Boris Johnson was one of the Brexiteers that had a "special place in hell" he told reporters "I think you understand what I thought using this metaphor."

Speaking at the end of a two-day European Council summit in Brussels, Tusk also told reporters they were being "patient" with the UK.

"We are waiting for the new British prime minister and we have to be very precise and also patient.

"It's waiting for the decisions or maybe new proposals, but our position remains as I informed just five minutes ago.

He added that it could be "even more exciting" for the UK to have a new leader, but from the EU perspective they were not going to change their offer.

"Maybe the process of Brexit will be even more exciting than before because of some personnel decisions in London, but nothing has changed when it comes to our position."

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker added: "We repeated unanimously that there will be no renegotiation of the Withdrawal Agreement."