Story of the Week
It has been a week of high-level diplomacy as European leaders seek to persuade Donald Trump to back Ukraine amid worrying pro-Russia talking points emanating from the White House.
First up was French president Emmanuel Macron, who fact-checked Trump in front of the cameras during the public part of their Oval Office meeting on European aid to Ukraine.
There was much back-slapping and bonhomie as Macron once again gave a masterclass in how to interact with Trump, but did he get anything out of it?
Macron spoke later of his efforts being a “turning point” in swaying Trump on Ukraine, but he did not secure any commitment from the US president to support the deployment of European troops to deter Russia as part of any peace deal.
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Europe’s leaders lined up to sway Trump on Ukraine - but did it work?
Britain’s Keir Starmer was next up in Washington, DC.
He said after his meeting with Trump that Britain would be prepared to put “boots on the ground and planes in the air” in Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force.
Trump, however, was less than enthusiastic about offering any US security guarantees, instead suggesting a US “backstop” could merely amount to American workers being on the ground in Ukraine as part of the deal he hopes to strike to benefit from the country’s natural resources.
Some of what went on in terms of the flattery of Mr Trump – for instance the production of a letter from King Charles with an official invitation for a second state visit to Britain – was a bit cringe-inducing.
Starmer did get a win of sorts for Britain with the plans to open trade talks with the US.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy stopped at Shannon Airport on Thursday en route to his own meeting with Trump in the White House today.
He met Taoiseach Micheál Martin, who afterwards described US president Donald Trump’s objective of ending the war in Ukraine as “noble” while also voicing Ireland’s backing for a “sustainable and durable” peace settlement.
Martin also said Ireland will “push very strongly” for Ukraine’s early entry into the European Union.
Zelenskiy later said in a post on X that “Ukraine deeply appreciates the support and assistance of the Irish people and government, as well as everything they have provided to help strengthen our defence against Russian terror.”
He said he and Mr Martin “discussed steps toward ending the war with a guaranteed peace for Ukraine and all of Europe, the importance of unity between Ukraine, Europe, the United States, and all those committed to global stability on this path”.
Zelenskiy meets Trump today where there is an expectation that he will sign a crucial minerals deal with the US.
Meanwhile, the Taoiseach’s own Oval Office invite for the annual St Patrick’s Day festivities has now landed as well.
Trump congratulated Mr Martin on his recent appointment as Taoiseach in the invite, adding that he looks forward to “working together” while speaking of the “special bond” between the Irish and American people.
The meeting will happen on March 12th.
With Trump threatening tariffs against the EU and differences between Ireland and the US over the war in Gaza, Ukraine is just one thorny issue that might arise on the day.
Martin will need to draw on all of his political and diplomatic skills to navigate what could well be a tricky encounter.
Bust Up
We are now into the sixth week of the seemingly interminable Dáil speaking rights row. The dispute centres on Government efforts to carve out specific speaking time for a small group of Independent TDs led by Michael Lowry who support the Coalition.
This week the Government used its majority on the Dáil reform committee to push through draft proposals that would allow these Independents and Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael backbenchers more time to pose Dáil questions to the Taoiseach and senior Ministers.
The Opposition was furious, with Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald branding the plans as “dangerous” and “unprecedented” and Labour’s Ivana Bacik describing the situation as “utterly farcical”.
Ms McDonald has said the Opposition will explore “all options” to resist the move and they have already agreed to withdraw co-operation with pairing – the arrangement that facilitates Dáil absences by Ministers travelling on official business.
Tánaiste Simon Harris criticised this as “utterly childish”. The Government proposals are yet to be finalised and changes to the rules will require a Dáil vote. The expectation is that this will not take place until after the St Patrick’s Day recess. The row shows no sign of being resolved just yet.
Banana Skin
Revelations that the National Gallery of Ireland bought an X-ray scanner machine for almost €125,000 in late 2017 and it has not yet been used have caused a bit of a stir.
The gallery does not have a suitable lead-lined room for the scanner and there has been concern over the load-bearing capacity of rooms at its premises. The Opposition has not been shy about claiming it is yet another example of Government waste. Minister for Arts Patrick O’Donovan – who briefed Cabinet on the issue - has pushed back against such criticism by saying: “It’s a bit early to be pointing fingers.”
But he has also admitted the scanner debacle is among issues that have caused “huge embarrassment” to his department in recent times. (The long-running controversies at RTÉ and an Arts Council computer project that led to the loss of at least €5.3 million are the other issues he cited).
There have been assurances that the X-ray scanner will be in use by the end of the year and the spend pales in comparison to the likes of the €336,000 Oireachtas bike stand, not to mention the €2.2 billion new national children’s hospital. It is, however, another example of how State spending can go wrong.
Winners and Losers
The election in Germany was a victory – albeit a shaky one - for the political centre ground. Germany’s centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is on course to form a grand coalition with the Social Democratic Party (SPD).
The CDU’s Friedrich Merz is set to be the next chancellor.
On paper the losers are the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). They will not be in power. However, they can be considered winners as well after the party doubled its support to 20.8 per cent, or 152 seats in parliament. And there are losers on the winning side.
The SPD suffered its worst-ever result, losing nine points to finish on 16.4 per cent. So yes the centre held, but will it be a pyrrhic victory when it comes to the next election?
The Big Read
Coming up on irishtimes.com, Harry McGee looks at the speaking rights furore and how a row over a small group of Independent TDs has darkened the atmosphere of the new Dáil.
Hear Here
Germany's 'it'll be grand' coalition inherits a country in crisis
On Tuesday the Inside Politics podcast had a look at Germany’s “it’ll be grand” coalition as it inherits a country in crisis. Presenter Hugh Linehan was joined by Berlin Correspondent Derek Scally to discuss last weekend’s Bundestag elections, described as the most significant in decades.
