The European Council President declared he is eagerly awaiting detailed talks in his congratulatory message to the Prime Minister. As Mr Johnson left Buckingham Palace after being given permission to form a government by the Queen, Mr Tusk wished him well on social media. But his message included a thinly veiled swipe at the Prime Minister’s history as Brexit’s most prominent backer.

Writing on Twitter, Mr Tusk said: “Dear Boris, congratulations on your appointment. I look forward to meeting you to discuss – in detail – our cooperation.”

“On behalf of the European Council, I would like to congratulate you on your appointment as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,” his letter added.

His brutally short letter was more prompt than his previous congratulatory messages to Greece’s Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen and even Kazakhstan’s Kassym-Jomart Tokayev when they recently took their countries’ highest office.

Previously the Council supremo has lashed out at Brexiteers after Mrs May’s deal failed to garner enough support from MPs.

In February, Mr Tusk said there was a “special place in hell for those who promoted Brexit, without even a sketch of a plan”.

The comments are largely known to be aimed at Mr Johnson, who was a figurehead for the Vote Leave campaign.

Dutch premier Mark Rutte also welcomed Mr Johnson to Downing Street with a social media post.

Before Mr Johnson’s official elevation to prime minister, the pair shared a brief discussion on the telephone.

Mr Rutte said: “I just spoke with Boris Johnson to congratulate him and wish him every success in his new role as prime minister.

“A big responsibility with the fast approaching Brexit deadline and the geopolitical tensions outside Europe.

“I look forward to working with Prime Minister Johnson.”

Earlier Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, said Mr Johnson is “clever” and revealed he will be available for immediate talks.

The Frenchman said: “It’s a very important moment for the Brexit and we look forward to hearing what the new prime minister Boris Johnson wants, what are the choices of the UK.”

He added: “We are ready to listen and to work with him in a constructive way. We will wait for the new decision, the new declarations of the UK Government.

“I met Boris Johnson once, we spoke once in the past, it was a very particular moment during the opening ceremony of the Olympics of London, fantastic games, so we are waiting now.”

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