Trump says stakes are 'high' before flight to Anchorage
Carole Coleman, RTÉ Reporter, speaks to several Ukranians living in Ireland about their views on the meeting.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Trump's Washington crime crackdown has wokies howling while law-abiding approve – so isn't it time we tried it here?
The UK government could do worse than take a leaf out of Trump's playbook this week... tough action on crime would be another no-brainer vote-winner HARRY COLE Trump's Washington crime crackdown has wokies howling while law-abiding approve – so isn't it time we tried it here? WHEN I recently landed Stateside, even my most right-on friends took me aside with hushed tones to warn which bits of town are strictly out of bounds. As a new arrival in Washington DC, I was immediately told to stay in my lane, never go to certain postcodes and never take the metro after sunset. 7 The FBI have led the multi-agency crackdown to clean up the streets of Washington DC Credit: Getty 7 The streets of DC have been swamped with federal agents, national guards and armoured vehicles Credit: The Mega Agency Advertisement 7 US President Donald Trump ordered the clean up after a White House staffer was attacked Credit: Getty Quite why was never exactly spelt out, but after a teenage White House staffer was beaten up at 3am just a few streets from where I now live, it went without saying. Edward Coristine, 19, better known by his online nickname 'Big Balls', hit global headlines after being knocked seven shades of Sunday by two fellow teens in an attempted carjacking earlier this month. As a minor celebrity in the Trump administration, after he worked with Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, Big Balls' beating became far more than just another crime statistic in one of the most dangerous cities on the planet. Advertisement Donald Trump used the shocking image of the bloodied lad to call time on rampant violence at the iconic heart of America. The President declared this week: 'I'm announcing a historic action to rescue our nation's capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor, and worse. Drug-addled crazy 'Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals — roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs, and homeless people.' He later followed up with a customary social media rant, writing: 'Crime, Savagery, Filth, and Scum will DISAPPEAR. I will MAKE OUR CAPITAL GREAT AGAIN!' Advertisement Since then, the streets of DC have been swamped with federal agents, national guards and vehicles that would not look out of place on an actual battlefield. The internet is awash with videos of raids, checkpoints and patrols that have driven the lefties, who mostly make up this city, round the bend. Rough-sleeping encampments that have sprung up in cities across the west have been visibly dismantled, despite howls from roving protesters. Five US cities where Donald Trump could next launch militarized crime crackdown as DC launch exposes Democrat failures So far, so good, many normal and non-deranged residents have said. But you know what really takes the biscuit? Those very same right-on types that have their rules about where never to stroll are the very same ones saying the President has overstepped the mark, overreacted, is playing a political game or — among the most hysterical — sliding into all-out fascism. Advertisement Better-off folk who live in nice bits of the city wax lyrical about how great things are, and how it's all a big stunt. Yet they are the same ones who shade out parts of the map, with warning signs, to new arrivals. Because they personally may not have been victims of crime, everything is clearly tickety-boo. Everyone knows someone who has witnessed something shocking, or had their own car broken into or turned a blind eye to a drug-addled crazy on their walk to work Harry Cole But drill down a little and everyone has a different story to tell. Everyone knows someone who has witnessed something shocking, or had their own car broken into or turned a blind eye to a drug-addled crazy on their walk to work. Trump's political enemies have walked straight into another one of his traps, as they defend the rights of violent criminals and gang-fuelled youths to roam and rampage on the streets at will. Advertisement 7 Law enforcement agencies are following Trump's instructions to take tough action Credit: Getty 7 The President's critics claim the approach is too heavy-handed and targets the vulnerable Credit: Reuters With him seizing control of the local police structures and deploying federal powers, the Democrats warn that the President's actions in the capital are a mere overture for similar action in crime-ridden Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. But most law-abiding residents seem either remarkably unfazed by it all, or actively welcome somebody finally getting a grip. While the row rages on American networks over whether crime is actually falling in DC, if murder rates are down, or if the number of shootings and carjackings have in fact slumped since the pandemic, most normal people I have met are not upset to see something finally being done. Advertisement The same arguments are being had in London and Washington. Yet it's surely time to do something about it rather than bury our heads in the sand Harry Cole Which got me thinking. If an American friend was landing in Britain, I would give them the exact- same briefing — which bits of town to avoid, where never to get your phone out and why it's best not to talk to nutters on buses. The same arguments are being had in London and Washington. Yet it's surely time to do something about it rather than bury our heads in the sand. People can see a marked decline in living standards due to muggings, snatchings, shoplifting, graffiti and all the rest. All the while, coppers are either dancing in the street, for clout on TikTok, or seemingly kicking in the doors of all the wrong people. Shovel a shelf of Greggs pastries into a bin bag in broad daylight and walk out, or tweet something daft and repent in haste . . . guess who is going to prison? Advertisement 7 Many in the UK would like to see Donald Trump's strong messaging and action Credit: Publicly, ministers and well-off commentators point to fig-leaf statistics that overall crime is falling, while normal people use just their eyes and ears to tell a different story. Take the princeling of woke, podcaster Lewis Goodall, who frothed this week: 'London is being set up as this dystopian hellhole where you can barely walk out of your door . . . it's a Trump import!' Accusing anyone of calling out the noticeable rise in crime as a 'far-right' goon, he went on: 'London lives rent-free in their heads as it's living proof of how completely wrong they are — they have to lie about it!' Yet these virtue-signalling types, who tell Brits they've never had it so good, are falling into the exact-same traps as Trump's critics. Advertisement While no one can accuse Sir Keir Starmer of having Donald Trump's flair, turn of phrase or gumption, the UK government could do worse than take a leaf out of the President's playbook this week The argument about whether sending in the heavies is mere theatrics, or will have a lasting effect, is still playing out here. But most fair-minded people, I suspect, would rather this than simply turning a blind eye to reality. While no one can accuse Sir Keir Starmer of having Donald Trump's flair, turn of phrase or gumption, the UK government could do worse than take a leaf out of the President's playbook this week. Like tough action on the US border has seen illegal immigration into the United States from Mexico grind to a halt, tough action on crime would be another no-brainer vote-winner. Just ignore the hypocrites. 7 Homelessness and poverty is the major problem in Washington DC Credit: James Breeden for The Sun Advertisement
Irish Independent
3 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Trump and Putin trade handshakes and smiles as meeting aimed at Ukraine peace deal begins
Donald Trump greets Vladimir Putin with a handshake on a red carpet as both disembark their presidential planes and their summit gets underway. The leaders greeted each other on the tarmac at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, where officials erected a special stage with a large 'Alaska 2025' sign flanked by parked fighter jets and red carpets. Uniformed military members stood at attention nearby. B-2s and F-22s — military aircraft designed to oppose Russia during the Cold War — were flying over to mark the moment. Mr Trump and Mr Putin have shared closely watched handshakes before, but their latest one will be as scrutinised as any, as will their body language or hints about how each is feeling. The pair are expected to hold a joint press conference. one minute ago Trump and Putin begin meeting in Alaska US President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin began their meeting on Friday in Alaska. The two leaders made no statements and took no questions as they sat side by side. 15 minutes ago US President Donald Trump greets Russian President Vladimir Putin as he arrives at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. The two leaders are meeting for peace talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. 50 minutes ago Donald Trump arrives in Alaska ahead of his summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. The meeting is scheduled to take place in less than an hour. Today 02:29 PM One-on-one between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin is altered last-minute What was promised as a one-on-one face to face meeting between Trump and Putin has now become a three v three meeting with Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff now joining Trump for the talks. It is unclear who will accompany Putin in the much-anticipated talks aimed at securing a path to peace in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Today 01:59 PM Russian government plane lands in Alaska ahead of Putin-Trump talks A Russian government plane landed in Alaska ahead of the talks between the Russian and U.S. presidents on Friday, according to flight tracking system Flightradar24. It was not clear whether Vladimir Putin was on board. The plane departed from Russia's Far Eastern town Magadan, where the Russian president was earlier on Friday. U.S. President Donald Trump waves while boarding Air Force One, as he departs for Alaska to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate for an end to the war in Ukraine, from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, U.S., August 15, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque Today 01:33 PM Trump heads to Alaska summit with Putin, says he wants Ukraine ceasefire 'today Donald Trump said he wanted to see a ceasefire "today" as he headed to Alaska on Friday for a summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin to help end the deadliest war in Europe since World War Two. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who was not invited to the talks, and his European allies fear Trump might sell out Ukraine by essentially freezing the conflict and recognising - if only informally - Russian control over one fifth of Ukraine. Trump sought to assuage such concerns as he boarded Air Force One, saying he would let Ukraine decide on any possible territorial swaps. "I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine, I'm here to get them at a table," he said. Asked what would make the meeting a success, he told reporters: "I want to see a ceasefire rapidly... I'm not going to be happy if it's not today... I want the killing to stop." The U.S. and Russian presidents are due to meet at a Cold War-era air force base in Alaska's largest city at around 11 a.m. (1900 GMT) for their first face-to-face talks since Trump returned to the White House. Trump hopes a truce in the 3-1/2-year-old war will bolster his credentials as a global peacemaker worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize. For Putin, the summit is already a big win that he can portray as evidence that years of Western attempts to isolate Russia have unravelled and that Moscow is retaking its rightful place at the top table of international diplomacy. Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev described the pre-summit mood as "combative" and said the two leaders would discuss not only Ukraine but the full spectrum of bilateral relations, Russia's RIA news agency reported. Trump, who once said he would end Russia's war in Ukraine within 24 hours, conceded on Thursday it had proven a tougher task than he had expected. He said that if Friday's talks went well, quickly arranging a second, three-way summit with Zelenskiy would be even more important than his encounter with Putin. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a three-way summit would be possible if the Alaska talks bore fruit, Interfax news agency reported. Peskov also said Friday's talks could last 6-7 hours and that aides would take part in what had been expected to be one-to-one meetings. Zelenskiy said the summit should open the way for a "just peace" and three-way talks that included him but added that Russia was continuing to wage war on Friday. A Russian ballistic missile earlier struck Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, killing one person and wounding another. "It's time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America," Zelenskiy wrote on the Telegram messaging app. 'Smart guy' The Kremlin said Putin would arrive in Alaska at 11 a.m. (1900 GMT) and would be met at his plane by Trump. "He is a smart guy, been doing it for a long time but so have I... We get along, there's a good respect level on both sides," Trump said of Putin. He also welcomed Putin's decision to bring a lot of businesspeople with him to Alaska. "But they're not doing business until we get the war settled," he said, repeating a threat of "economically severe" consequences for Russia if the summit goes badly. One source acquainted with Kremlin thinking said there were signs that Moscow could be ready to strike a compromise on Ukraine given that Putin understood Russia's economic vulnerability and costs of continuing the war. Reuters has previously reported that Putin might be willing to freeze the conflict along the front lines, provided there was a legally binding pledge not to enlarge NATO eastwards and to lift some Western sanctions. NATO has said that Ukraine's future is in the alliance. Russia, whose war economy is showing signs of strain, is vulnerable to further U.S. sanctions - and Trump has threatened tariffs on buyers of Russian crude, primarily China and India. "For Putin, economic problems are secondary to goals, but he understands our vulnerability and costs," the Russian source said. Putin this week held out the prospect of something else he knows Trump wants - a new nuclear arms control accord to replace the last surviving one, which is due to expire next February. Common ground? The source familiar with Kremlin thinking said it looked as if the two sides had been able to find some common ground. "Apparently, some terms will be agreed upon... because Trump cannot be refused, and we are not in a position to refuse (due to sanctions pressure)," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the matter's sensitivity. Putin has said he is open to a full ceasefire but that issues of verification must first be sorted out. One compromise could be a truce in the air war. Zelenskiy has ruled out formally handing Moscow any territory and is also seeking a security guarantee backed by the United States. It is unclear how that guarantee could work. Ukrainians who spoke to Reuters in central Kyiv on Friday were not optimistic about the summit. "Nothing good will happen there, because war is war, it will not end. The territories - we're not going to give anything to anyone," said Tetiana Harkavenko, a 65-year-old cleaner. Today 01:29 PM Zelenskiy says Russia continues attacking Ukraine ahead of summit President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday Russia was continuing to attack Ukraine ahead of a summitin Alaska between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, but its attempt to "show strength" with a new assault in the east had failed. "On the day of the negotiations, they also kill people. And that says a lot," Zelenskiy said on the Telegram messaging app. "The war continues. It continues precisely because there is no order, nor any indication that Moscow is preparing to end this war," he added. Earlier, Ukrainian regional officials said Russia had launched a ballistic missile into Dnipropetrovsk region in eastern Ukraine, killing one person and wounding at least one other, while a drone damaged civilian infrastructure and caused a fire in Sumy region in the northeast. The city of Dnipro is a logistics hub for Ukrainian forces, and the Dnipropetrovsk and Sumy regions border the combat zone and are regularly shelled by Russian forces. Ukraine said this week that small groups of Russian infantry had thrust some 10 kilometres (six miles) towards the main defensive line near the eastern town of Dobropillia, raising fears of a wider breakthrough that would further threaten key cities. However, officials said on Thursday that Ukrainian troops had managed to stabilise the battlefield in the area. Commenting on the matter on Friday, Zelenskiy said: "The Russian intention was to show strength ahead of Alaska but in fact, for the occupiers, this is ending with their destruction." Reuters Today 01:28 PM Trump says 'nothing set in stone' on Putin meeting U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said he did not know what would make his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin a success, saying he wanted to see a ceasefire. Asked what would make the meeting a success, he told reporters aboard Air Force One: "I can't tell you that. I don't know. There's nothing set in stone. I want certain things. I want a ceasefire." "I want to see a ceasefire rapidly... I'm not going to be happy if it's not today," he said, adding that Europe and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy would also be involved. "I want the killing to stop." Reuters Live Blog Software Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who was not invited to the talks, and his European allies fear Trump might sell out Ukraine by essentially freezing the conflict and recognising - if only informally - Russian control over one fifth of Ukraine. Trump sought to assuage such concerns as he boarded Air Force One, saying he would let Ukraine decide on any possible territorial swaps. "I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine, I'm here to get them at a table," he said. Asked what would make the meeting a success, he told reporters: "I want to see a ceasefire rapidly... I'm not going to be happy if it's not today... I want the killing to stop." The U.S. and Russian presidents are due to meet at a Cold War-era air force base in Alaska's largest city at around 11 a.m. (1900 GMT) for their first face-to-face talks since Trump returned to the White House. Trump hopes a truce in the 3-1/2-year-old war will bolster his credentials as a global peacemaker worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize. For Putin, the summit is already a big win that he can portray as evidence that years of Western attempts to isolate Russia have unravelled and that Moscow is retaking its rightful place at the top table of international diplomacy. Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev described the pre-summit mood as "combative" and said the two leaders would discuss not only Ukraine but the full spectrum of bilateral relations, Russia's RIA news agency reported. Trump, who once said he would end Russia's war in Ukraine within 24 hours, conceded on Thursday it had proven a tougher task than he had expected. He said that if Friday's talks went well, quickly arranging a second, three-way summit with Zelenskiy would be even more important than his encounter with Putin. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a three-way summit would be possible if the Alaska talks bore fruit, Interfax news agency reported. Peskov also said Friday's talks could last 6-7 hours and that aides would take part in what had been expected to be one-to-one meetings. Zelenskiy said the summit should open the way for a "just peace" and three-way talks that included him but added that Russia was continuing to wage war on Friday. A Russian ballistic missile earlier struck Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, killing one person and wounding another. ADVERTISEMENT "It's time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America," Zelenskiy wrote on the Telegram messaging app. The Kremlin said Putin would arrive in Alaska at 11 a.m. (1900 GMT) and would be met at his plane by Trump. "He is a smart guy, been doing it for a long time but so have I... We get along, there's a good respect level on both sides," Trump said of Putin. He also welcomed Putin's decision to bring a lot of businesspeople with him to Alaska. "But they're not doing business until we get the war settled," he said, repeating a threat of "economically severe" consequences for Russia if the summit goes badly. One source acquainted with Kremlin thinking said there were signs that Moscow could be ready to strike a compromise on Ukraine given that Putin understood Russia's economic vulnerability and costs of continuing the war. Reuters has previously reported that Putin might be willing to freeze the conflict along the front lines, provided there was a legally binding pledge not to enlarge NATO eastwards and to lift some Western sanctions. NATO has said that Ukraine's future is in the alliance. Russia, whose war economy is showing signs of strain, is vulnerable to further U.S. sanctions - and Trump has threatened tariffs on buyers of Russian crude, primarily China and India. "For Putin, economic problems are secondary to goals, but he understands our vulnerability and costs," the Russian source said. Putin this week held out the prospect of something else he knows Trump wants - a new nuclear arms control accord to replace the last surviving one, which is due to expire next February. The source familiar with Kremlin thinking said it looked as if the two sides had been able to find some common ground. "Apparently, some terms will be agreed upon... because Trump cannot be refused, and we are not in a position to refuse (due to sanctions pressure)," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the matter's sensitivity. Putin has said he is open to a full ceasefire but that issues of verification must first be sorted out. One compromise could be a truce in the air war. Zelenskiy has ruled out formally handing Moscow any territory and is also seeking a security guarantee backed by the United States. It is unclear how that guarantee could work. Ukrainians who spoke to Reuters in central Kyiv on Friday were not optimistic about the summit. "Nothing good will happen there, because war is war, it will not end. The territories - we're not going to give anything to anyone," said Tetiana Harkavenko, a 65-year-old cleaner.
Irish Independent
5 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Dublin councillor delivers 700-page Metrolink business case to Michael O'Leary
Metrolink is an 18.8km mostly underground rail line set to run from Swords to Charlemont, designed to provide fast, high-capacity transport through the north and south of the city. Dublin Airport is projected to be the busiest of the 16 stops on the Metrolink plan, with approximately 18pc of all passengers departing the service there. 'Michael Leary said on RTÉ radio about two weeks ago that there's been no cost-benefit analysis done on Metrolink,' Green Party councillor Feljin Jose said. 'That was quoted again in multiple newspapers and then he wrote a letter to the Irish Times yesterday, where he repeated it. 'So I've given him the 700-page cost benefit analysis in the business case that was published online, easily available, and I've delivered to his office,' he added. Cllr Jose said he felt it was important to 'call out these false statements wherever we can'. 'We should not let billionaires influence public policy,' he said. 'There is no other project in the history of the state that has gone through as much criticism and as much analysis as Metrolink. 'What we need to do now is get on with it and get it built as soon as it's approved by An Coimisiún Pleanála.' Mr Jose said the repeated assertion from Mr O'Leary that there has been 'no cost-benefit analysis' is misleading and undermines public confidence in the major transport project. 'If he Googles 'Metrolink cost benefit analysis', it comes up,' he said. 'It's quite detailed, and it's quite clear he hasn't read it, but he's still on national radio and in newspapers saying it doesn't exist. 'That undermines public confidence in public bodies like TII and the NTA and in major infrastructure projects like Metrolink.' Mr O'Leary has branded the €11bn project a 'waste' of taxpayers' money, claimed it will cost €20bn – 'about a billion a kilometre' – and insisted Dublin Airport is already 'well served by buses'. He has argued fewer than a third of airport passengers use public transport; questioned the route's usefulness for early-morning flights; and suggested 400 buses could match the Metro's capacity for €100m. Labour TD Duncan Smith called the comments 'insulting', adding: 'Dubliners are stuck in daily gridlock. Metrolink is their best chance at affordable, reliable transport that serves communities, not corporate profits.' The inspector's report on Metrolink, based on the oral hearings and submissions on the project, has been submitted to An Coimisiún Pleanála, who will make the final decision. The report is estimated to be around 2,000 pages, which may take some time for the board to make a final decision. A spokesperson for Ryanair denied the document disproves Mr O'Leary's claims, as the 'preliminary business case was published over 4 years ago'. 'All of the timelines, the costs, and the revenue projections in this doc have been abandoned,' they said. 'It predicts 53m passengers 'in Year 1' from the 16-station Metro … the Luas Red & Green Lines, with 67 stations, only hit 50m passengers in 2024, after 20 years of operation.'
