European Union leaders will endorse a stiff set of divorce terms for Britain at a summit today in Brussels, rejoicing in a rare show of unity in adversity. Meeting for the first time since British Prime Minister Theresa May formally triggered a two-year countdown to Brexit in late March, the 27 other EU leaders will lose little time over a lunch in Brussels in approving an 8-page set of negotiating guidelines hammered out by their diplomats over the past month.<br/><br/>Those will bind Michel Barnier, their chief negotiator, to seek a deal that secures the rights of 3 million EU expats living in Britain, ensure London pays tens of billions of euros Brussels thinks it will be owed and avoids destabilising peace by creating a hard EU-UK border across the island of Ireland. They also rule out discussing the free trade deal May wants until they see progress on agreeing those key withdrawal terms.<br/><br/>In a mark of how last year's Brexit vote has called into question the unity of the United Kingdom itself, leaders will also offer Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny a pledge that if Northern Ireland, which voted against Brexit, ever unites with his country, it will automatically be in the EU.