A potential Ukraine peace deal and greater Irish-British co-operation to protect subsea cables from attack will be on the agenda when the neighbour governments meet at a UK-Ireland summit in northwest England on Thursday.
Speaking in Liverpool on Wednesday evening, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he expects to discuss with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer about his recent efforts to keep US President Donald Trump onside regarding a peace deal for Ukraine.
The Taoiseach said he has no need to ask the prime minister for advice on how to handle Mr Trump, who he will meet next week in the White House.
Instead, Mr Martin said he and Mr Starmer will talk about recent geopolitical events.
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The Irish ministers attending the Liverpool meeting include Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris, Minister for Education Helen McEntee, Minister for the Environment Darragh O’Brien, and Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan.
Speaking in the Dáil earlier on Wednesday, Mr Martin said he wants a “durable and sustainable” peace deal for Ukraine and he will be making that point in his meeting next week with Mr Trump.
He said there were “different perspectives” on how to reach a solution for the war in Ukraine.
He told Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald that in terms of Gaza and the Middle East “we want to consolidate the ceasefire and will be very strongly making that point. We want a surge in humanitarian aid into Gaza”.
The relationship between the US and Ireland is “older than the State itself, and it’s an extremely important one”.
“In terms of the core issues, the economic relationship is very important. We’re an open small economy, pro-free trade, and I will be articulate from that perspective. We will also articulate our views in relation to Ukraine, and in relation to the Middle East also,” he said.
Ms McDonald had asked him to state “very, very clearly” what he would be saying to the US president.
“Will you put it to President Trump that Ireland stands on the side of international law and diplomacy, that the sovereignty of Ukraine must be upheld, that the pressing and immediate priority now is to build peace through inclusive engagement and good faith dialogue?”
She asked Mr Martin if he will ”express our strong view that the US is catastrophically wrong on Gaza, that the proposal for the mass expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza is absolutely an unacceptable breach of international law, (and) deeply destabilising for the Middle East and the wider world”.
Ms McDonald raised the announcement by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that she would seek another €800 billion spending on defence.
She said “peace is not achieved by investing and financing war” and “every rule in the book” has been set aside to enable this investment “in the weapons of war”.
Mr Martin told her many EU countries are fearful of the threat Russia poses to their existence.
“No one wants war, but Europe is exposed right now, the Baltics, in particular, Poland, and many others,” he said.
“Europe has to be self-reliant in order to ensure peace and prosperity,“ he said, adding that President von der Leyen made clear in her opening remarks that Europe is about peace and prosperity.
The EU has to enhance member states' military and security capability across a range of areas including cyber security, maritime security, and energy security, he said.
Ms McDonald said the EC president had “kick started an EU arms race”.
Separately, Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill – who is travelling to the US for St Patrick’s Day events next week – rejected a suggestion by former acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney that the Taoiseach should consider not going to the White House meeting.
His remarks came in a Business Post interview in the wake of the clash between Mr Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy last week.
“If I was the Taoiseach I might think about sitting this one out, even though I know that’s not going to happen,” said Mr Mulvaney, who served in president Trump’s first administration.
He highlighted the Apple tax case, Ireland’s stance on Israel and the trade deficit between Ireland and the US in making the comments. He also argued Irish diplomacy is “not perceived as bipartisan as it used to be”.
Ms Carroll MacNeill responded to Mr Mulvaney’s remarks by saying Mr Martin is operating in “the best interests of the State.”
