‘The last thing we need is flare-ups’ over Northern Ireland, says US official

US State Department counsellor Derek Chollet warned against ‘unilateral steps’ over the Northern Ireland protocol. Photograph: Sakchai Lalit/AP

The last thing the west needs now is another flare-up over Northern Ireland, Derek Chollet, the US Department of State counsellor, has warned.

Delivering a strong call for improved relations between the UK and Europe at a time of world instability, Chollet urged all sides to avoid unilateral gestures, including over the Northern Ireland protocol.