14 September :US President Donald Trump has voiced support for a united Ireland, saying that Irish reunification would be “a wonderful thing.” He made the remarks during a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in Dublin on Saturday, September 12.
“I don’t want to cause any trouble. But I would like to see Ireland united. It’s going to happen one day. I think it would be a wonderful thing,” Trump told reporters.
Prime Minister Micheál Martin did not respond to Trump’s comments at the time and later declined to comment on the matter.
Trump’s remarks have not changed London’s position on Irish reunification. A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the prime minister’s stance on the issue remained unchanged.
Speaking in the British Parliament on Wednesday about the possibility of a referendum in Northern Ireland, Burnham said he had no evidence that a majority of people wanted another vote. He also said a referendum would not be held unless circumstances changed.
Under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, the British government has the authority to call a referendum on whether Northern Ireland should remain part of the United Kingdom. The agreement brought an end to nearly three decades of sectarian violence known as “the Troubles.”
Gavin Robinson, leader of Northern Ireland’s main unionist party, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), said Trump would not determine Northern Ireland’s future. That decision, he said, would be made by the people of Northern Ireland.
“President Trump himself knows the importance of elections,” Robinson said. He added that Northern Ireland’s future would not be determined by statements from London, Dublin or Washington.
Although opinion polls still show that most people in Northern Ireland favour remaining part of the United Kingdom, the gap between the two sides has been narrowing. The issue of a united Ireland has returned to the spotlight, particularly since Britain’s departure from the European Union.
During his visit to Dublin, Trump also met Irish President Catherine Connolly. In 2019, Connolly protested against Trump at Shannon Airport during his previous visit to Ireland.
Anti-war and anti-Trump protests were held in Dublin during the latest visit. Demonstrators criticised US military policy, Ireland’s neutrality and Trump’s support for Israel in Gaza. Questions were also raised over the substantial cost of security arrangements for the visit.
Source: Al Jazeera