With Taoiseach Micheál Martin set to visit the White House for St Patrick’s Day in the wake of Trump’s row with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy, there has been speculation over the tone this meeting will take.
Mr Zelenskyy travelled to Washington DC in early March in an attempt to secure a ceasefire agreement with Russia and a possible mineral deal with the US.
But his visit ended prematurely, with the signing of an agreement and a joint press conference with US President Donald Trump cancelled following their Oval Office clash.
President Donald Trump, right, meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office at the White House, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/ Mystyslav Chernov)Former Fine Gael Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence Alan Shatter told The Anton Savage Show that, while Micheál Martin shouldn’t expect to face the same level of hostilities, he will likely find himself in the hotseat in regard to Ireland’s position on Israel and Gaza.
“There’s a bigger issue [than trade or tariffs] that could create a real difficulty... and that is, as perceived in America, the enormous hostility of Ireland to Israel,” he said.
“I would be very surprised if this isn’t raised - I don’t know will it be raised by Trump, will it be raised by some of the members on the hill in Congress that he meets; I think it will certainly be raised by the media.
“I think there’s a perception that if Ireland is a friend, that Ireland should be supportive of Israel, not antagonistic towards it."
'America-first agenda
Mr Shatter said he expects that Mr Trump will certainly “talk shop” during the Taoiseach’s visit, whether it be behind closed doors or in public.
“Everyone is assuming the possibility of a Zelenskyy moment, and that’s not necessarily the case,” he said.
“But the Taoiseach has real issues to address; first we’ve seen the America-first agenda, it’s about getting American companies that are manufacturing outside America and sending their product back into the United States, to manufacture inside America.
“One of the grievances is major US multinationals, which we rightly attracted to Ireland... they are producing product, for example in the pharmaceutical area, which then is exported back into the United States.
“There’s a trade imbalance of something in the end of 2024 of 50 billion [euro/dollars], there’s a surplus to our benefit of 50 billion.”
Mr Shatter said that Ireland provides these companies with access to the overall European market, and so even if they are forced to scale down operations, they will likely maintain a presence in the country.
Main image: Trump (L) and Micheál Martin (R).
