Taoiseach Micheál Martin has stated he believes US president Donald Trump has now accepted Russia’s president Vladimir Putin is “not serious” about any moves to end his invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Martin was among the world leaders who spoke with Mr Trump after Tuesday’s controversial United Nations address, after which the US president reaffirmed his commitment to Ukraine.
“I think it reflects a closer engagement with the EU and the coalition of the willing,” Mr Martin said at a Wednesday morning engagement in the offices of Ireland House in midtown Manhattan.
“And I think it reflects the diplomatic outreach that Europe has engaged in with the US. I think he [Mr Trump] has come around to the view that president Putin is not serious about peace. I think president Trump felt originally that Russia wanted an off-ramp, and that they would welcome an opportunity to end this war. I think he is of the view now that that is not the case.”
RM Block
Mr Martin participated in Wednesday’s Crimea Platform with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy and other heads of state. His daily schedule included an evening flight to Ottawa ahead of Thursday’s state visit to Canada, where he will be greeted by prime minister Mark Carney.
The Taoiseach said that meeting would “copper fasten what is a very strong relationship”, and noted the Canada-EU trade agreement will be ratified shortly in the Dáil.
“It has resulted in an exponential growth in exports from Ireland to Canada.”
[ Laughter and darkness as Trump escalates grievances at the United NationsOpens in new window ]
Commenting on the recent imposition of a $100,000 fee by the US government on all new applicants for the H1B visa for high skilled workers, which encompasses vital fields of technology, engineering and medicine, Mr Martin agreed he “would be concerned” about the impact that punitive measure could have on the flow of workers between the United States and Ireland in the years to come.
Many Irish workers living in the United States are on H1B visa permits, the fee for which previously stood at $1,000.
Although current holders are exempt, the measure has serious implications for future applicants aspiring to work in the United States.
[ Zelenskiy tells UN that Russia is seeking to expand fighting beyond UkraineOpens in new window ]
“Fundamental to the development of any economy is human capital. And in my view we have to continue to facilitate the mobility of workers and of skills from economy to economy. Now, it’s a matter for the United States and the American government to make up its mind on this issue but there could be a potential negative impact on the American economy if it deprives them of valued skills.
“From the Irish perspective, we have benefited enormously from the European Union freedom of mobility. I keep saying to CEOs and they say to me – we have full employment in Ireland, and the central attraction is the capacity to still attract and get skills in Ireland.
“And it is not just the Irish labour market; it is the entire EU labour market. And without that our economy would be regressing. That might not be widely understood, but it is the truth of it.
“And I think America is taking this stance not just on that particular visa but more broadly there is a retrenchment from attracting skills. And I think that potentially could be problematic for the US. We will have to wait and see.”
