Theresa May has said Donald Tusk's comment about some Brexit campaigners was "not helpful and caused widespread dismay".
She was speaking after meeting EU leaders and officials in Brussels today about Brexit.
Mr Tusk, the President of the European Council, made the remark during a press conference with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar yesterday:
I've been wondering what that special place in hell looks like, for those who promoted #Brexit, without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out safely.
— Charles Michel (@eucopresident) February 6, 2019
It prompted outrage from some UK politicians, with the DUP's Arlene Foster calling it "deliberately provocative and disrespectful".
Reporters in Brussels today asked Mrs May about the comment.
She responded: "I've raised with President Tusk the language that he used yesterday, which was not helpful and caused widespread dismay in the United Kingdom.
The point I made to him is that we should both be working to ensure we can deliver a close relationship between the UK and the EU in the future - that is what he should be focusing on.
Her comments came after she held 'robust but constructive' discussions with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.
Their meeting came amid the continued impasse over the Brexit withdrawal agreement, which continues to face major opposition in the House of Commons.
Mr Juncker again ruled out the prospect of re-negotiating the Irish backstop to avoid a hard border.
However, Mrs May - who's due to visit Dublin tomorrow - said they'd both agreed that talks will start "to find a way through this, to get this over the line, and to deliver on the concerns that [the UK] Parliament has".
Mr Tusk, who also met Mrs May today, said there's no breakthrough in sight:
Meeting PM @theresa_may on how to overcome impasse on #brexit. Still no breakthrough in sight. Talks will continue. pic.twitter.com/vn2CVybc1j
— Charles Michel (@eucopresident) February 7, 2019
