English transcript

Just hold it.

Hold it. Just make a number of points. First of all, I think,

notwithstanding what has happened,

the transatlantic relationship between Europe and the US is very,

very important on a number of fronts.

And I think we've had issues over the last year or two, but we settled them.

And I think many of these leaders engaged with you,

particularly on trade initially, remember all the fuss last year,

but we got a landing zone between Europe and the US.

And I think we can get a landing zone again. And I think,

I just met with Keir Starmer last week.

The British-Irish relationship is a very important one.

Um, Churchill was a great wartime leader,

although in Ireland there was kind of

a different perspective in terms of during our own War of Independence and so on.

He created his own bit of difficulties for us,

but that said, he was a great wartime leader.

Keir Starmer has done a lot to reset the Irish-British relationship.

I just want to put that on the record.

Um, but I do believe that he's a very

earnest, sound person who I think you have a capacity to get on with,

and you've got on with him before.

And you've got on with other European leaders as well.

Uh, and I think you have that capacity again. And I think everyone accepts,

I mean, you cannot have a rogue state with a nuclear weapon, or the capacity for

a nuclear weapon. Iran was a sponsor of terrorism. We sanctioned Iran,

all European countries did,

as a terror- and the IRGC in particular as a terrorist organization.

They sponsored Hamas, they sponsored Hezbollah,

the Houthis, they created mayhem and a most malign force in the Middle East.

The Irish position has always been, ultimately,

can we resolve this through, you know, can we get peace?

And obviously there's preconditions before you get to that situation.

We had our own conflict, um, which went on for 30 years,

uh, and we learned a lot from that, uh,

in terms of how to try and bring about peace.

And I think I've listened to you in terms of, and you're correct,

I mean, our hearts go out to the Iranian people,

who have been repressed and suppressed for so many ti- for so many years,

culminating in that savage,

um, murder of thousands and

thousands of Iranians some months ago. - Did you go to the protest?

- No one was in a- just- no one was in a position to do anything, um, about that.

Um, and, uh, I think, and likewise with Ukraine, I mean, the Russians did,

um, invade Ukraine,

uh, have attacked civilian infrastructure and so on like that.

And for the people of Ukraine who just want peace, uh, and an opportunity to live,

I think there is,

I think we have to continue to work to see can we bring peace, uh, a different

regime to Iran,

where Iranians can live in peace again.

And the people in the Middle East can live in peace.

And you're doing your bit there in terms of, uh,

the work in Gaza and so on like that. And I think that's what we,

that's what we want, is a peaceful resolution of conflict.

That's where we come from as a small nation.

We've been peacekeepers all our lives, um,

and we're the longest-serving nation in terms of provision of peacekeeping forces,

uh, in the world, as it turns out. But we, we think ultimately, uh,

all conflicts come to an end.

And I think we have to try and, uh, work towards that end.

And, um, I'm sure European leaders and the US administration will engage,

um, and, um, hopefully we can get a, uh, a landing zone sorted.

- Thank you very much. - Thank you.