In all areas, the UK continues to backtrack.

The European Union argues that we should be subject to rules of the club that we have left.

The precondition is the level playing field.

We can deliver a real Brexit that achieves our objectives.

But if there is not a deal, we still need the Irish Protocol or the Northern Irish protocol fully implemented.

I'm going to miss being the pantomime villain.

Hello and welcome to Brexit Republic, RTE's podcast on Brexit.

I'm Tony Connolly, RTE's Europe editor in Brussels.

I'm Sean Wheelan, RTE's correspondent in London.

And I'm Colombeau-Mungown, RTE's Deputy Foreign Editor in Dublin. Each week, Brexit Republic assesses all the latest Brexit developments

in Brussels, London and in Dublin. This week, vaccine wars. The post-Brexit landscape is once

again pockmarked with simmering disagreements over whose contract with AstraZeneca is the best and who's

exporting more vaccines around the world. And while Boris Johnson maintains a diplomatic poise on the

vaccine issue, his front seat driver on post-Brexit relations, David Frost, has been facing

some tough questions from the grizzled and wise heads of his fellow Westminster Peers.

And the same House of Lords has issued its final committee report on the impact of Brexit.

We'll also hear about why Irish ferries has taken on the big beasts of the Dover-Calais Sea Crossing.

But first this week, EU leaders weighed in again on the problems of the EU's vaccine rollout and on whether

Brussels should impose more restrictions on vaccine exports.

And that was occupying your time, Tony, until late last night, even after the 9 o'clock

news had wrapped.

Ursula von der Leyen was on her feet giving a press conference, although we heard, I think, a slightly more conciliatory

...