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00:00It's really, really important that the European Union continues to use its leverage against Russia
00:05and the power and the strength that we have in order to help Ukraine and protect the people of Ukraine
00:10who are basically fighting and defending their European democracy.
00:14So we've agreed on numerous sanctions packages.
00:16They all require unanimity.
00:19Every member state has its own specificities.
00:21And I think we will get there.
00:22And we've got there so often before.
00:24Will the package include accessing frozen Russian assets?
00:32Look, I think that's very, very important.
00:34Clearly, it has specific implications for Belgium, and that's very understandable.
00:40So I think what will happen at the leaders' meeting is the leaders will have a good discussion.
00:43And from that, then, I would hope to see the Commission coming forward with proposals on this,
00:49that we can actually use that leverage that we have in the interests of Ukraine,
00:54in the interests of protecting their right as an independent country to survive and exist and prosper.
01:01But, Minister, is there an issue for Ireland as a neutral country, for example,
01:05if that money is used to buy weapons for Ukraine?
01:09Look, Ireland's a neutral country in the sense that we're not part of any military alliance.
01:13And we have given significant support to Ukraine, whether that's the fact that 2% of our own population is a Ukrainian refugee.
01:20But also, we've given a huge amount of support in terms of defensive weapons.
01:25And we're able to work out a system with the Ukrainian government, with the European Union,
01:29and with European Union partners to make sure that our specificities, and every country has them, are not affected.
01:35And I'm sure that we can work this one through as well.
01:38I've no doubt about that, because we've given significant support to Ukraine.
01:41They are entitled, under international law, to defend themselves.
01:45And I don't think anybody could object to that.
01:50Minister, where do you think President Trump is on his, you know, I guess, relationship or friendship with Vladimir Putin?
01:57How problematic would it be for you and European colleagues
02:00if a face-to-face meeting were to happen between the two leaders?
02:03I don't think anybody from the European Union has suggested that we would have a problem
02:09if President Trump meets President Putin, particularly in the interest of peace.
02:13What I think is very, very important is that the European Union continues our strong relationship with the United States.
02:19That's at the level of the leadership of the European Union, but also the member states as well.
02:23Our own Taoiseach Michal Martin was one of the first visitors to the White House.
02:26We've seen Finnish President Stubb engaging significantly with President Trump and other leaders, including, of course, President Zelensky.
02:33So we need to keep up close contact, close relations with the United States.
02:38We're, you know, like-minded democracies.
02:40We're like-minded peoples.
02:42And at the end of the day, I think we achieve much more together.
02:44And I think President Trump sees that as well, because we've seen his engagements with the European Union
02:49in recent times have been quite positive, quite proactive.
02:53Yes, we have the issue with trade, but again, we've sorted that so far.
02:57So I think continuing to work closely with the United States is in everybody's interest.
03:01And again, I really believe that Ukraine sees that as well, because they have obviously stuck very close to the U.S.,
03:08despite difficulties in the relationship.
03:11But what do you think would emerge from a one-to-one Trump-Putin meeting?
03:14I don't know, but what I would be suggesting is that, you know, President Putin would be reminded
03:22that he's conducting an illegal war of aggression against Ukraine.
03:25I think that's the first principle, and that no country has the right to do what he's doing,
03:30and that he should stop, and that there should be peace,
03:32and that he and Russia should be held accountable for what he's doing.
03:36And I think until that happens, we as a European Union must continue to use our strong leverage.
03:40I think it's really, really important that Ukraine is allowed to survive as a nation,
03:46is allowed ultimately to join the European Union, to make its own choices about defence,
03:51and to make sure that its peace and security are protected and guaranteed.
03:55I think that ultimately, Ukraine has to join the European Union.
03:59That's important for them.
04:00But I think it's also important for all the rest of us as well.
04:04And as European Affairs Minister of Ireland, that's something that I'm particularly close to,
04:08and I think that we should keep it as a priority.
04:10And certainly for our presidency of the Council of the European Union next year,
04:14that will be a significant priority.
04:17Minister, the EU has been affected by China ramping up some of the export curbs on rare earth materials.
04:24Would you support retaliatory measures against China?
04:29Look, I think what China has to do is stop this,
04:32and China has to comply with the WTO rules.
04:35I was at a meeting of the G20 trade ministers only two weeks ago in South Africa,
04:39and everybody around that table, Ireland is a guest country,
04:41but everybody around that table was supporting the WTO in principle.
04:44So China should stick to the rules there.
04:47I think what Ireland would say is that we have full confidence in Commissioner Maris Stefkovic.
04:51He is one of the busiest commissioners at the moment.
04:53There seems to be a trade issue all over the world at the moment,
04:56and Commissioner Stefkovic is not only dealing with problems that arise,
05:00in the case of the US, for example, and China,
05:03but also looking for opportunities for the European Union as well in trade,
05:07and I think that's really, really important.
05:08So the Commission have competence on trade.
05:11They will consult with member states.
05:13We will support what the Commission does.
05:15At the end of the day, China itself depends on a global market for its goods,
05:20and I think that they will have to bear that in mind as well in all of this.
05:23Trade is always a two-way street, and I don't think that any country benefits
05:28from bringing in unilateral measures on trade,
05:31especially if there are countries like China that depend on the rest of the world to buy their products.
05:36What do you think Europe needs to now do to be more competitive?
05:42We've a lot to do.
05:43I would like to see the simplification agenda move forward.
05:46I mean, it has the support of the Commission and the member states.
05:51I think the European Parliament needs to come to the table.
05:54It is working on these issues, but we need to work more closely with the Parliament
05:57to get some of these administrative burdens reduced that we've committed to doing.
06:01I think we have to get that capital markets union, as we call it,
06:04the savings and investment union, up and running around the European Union as well
06:08and get some of that investment into the EU,
06:12which is at the moment going outside the European Union.
06:15I think there's a huge agenda as well on housing.
06:17Housing has shot up, really, I think, to the leader's agenda.
06:20Very, very quickly.
06:22I know the Cypriot Presidency have told me that they will have it as a priority.
06:25Ireland will certainly have housing up there next year.
06:28And many people around the council table yesterday in Luxembourg,
06:32at the General Affairs Council, preparing for the leader's meeting,
06:35were talking about the importance of housing.
06:37And what we're looking for is a simplification of some of the rules that are there.
06:40What we're also looking for as well is a simplification of the state aid rules.
06:44We've seen in Ireland a lot of judicial reviews on planning permission,
06:49arguing legal points ultimately coming mostly from European law to prevent developments going ahead.
06:55So we've got to make sure the rules are fair and that we work towards the common good.
06:59And in my view, housing is very much part of the common good.
07:02And we certainly want the European Union to follow on from what, of course,
07:06President von der Leyen committed to in her State of the Union.
07:10I think the discussion at the leader's meeting will be very important
07:12because housing is a key part of our competitiveness.
07:15Our employees, our workers, everybody needs to find a home.
07:18Investors, you know, investing in the European Union need to make sure that their employees can find a home as well.
07:24So I think that's it.
07:26There should be a key focus for the time ahead.
07:29Minister, I know Germany floated this idea of a pan-European stock exchange.
07:32Is it something that Ireland would support?
07:36Well, we're certainly interested in looking to any proposals that will enhance our competitiveness,
07:42enhance our offering as a European Union.
07:45We don't jump in on every single proposal straight away.
07:48We consider them carefully.
07:49But I think we do need, we certainly do need more investment within the European Union.
07:53There's a huge amount of savings out there, a lot of which goes to America.
07:58Some of our greatest entrepreneurs see it as the ultimate sign of success,
08:01to have success in the United States.
08:03We need them to think as well about having huge success within the European Union.
08:07We are the biggest single market in the world.
08:10We are the most prosperous economy.
08:12But we can do a huge amount more.
08:14And if we, you know, bring some of that investment together within the European Union,
08:18I think we can achieve a lot.
08:19So, look, there's a lot of proposals on the table.
08:21And we'll certainly consider all of them that come forward that can meet those goals.
08:27Minister, we're almost running out of time.
08:28But actually, there's a series of things to do with climate issues in the last couple of weeks
08:33that have been pushed back, be it the new carbon market or actually, you know,
08:37the proposal to give companies another six months to comply with curb deforestation laws.
08:42Are you worried that the EU is giving up on its climate ambitions?
08:45No, I'm not worried about that because I think the EU is more committed than anybody
08:51to achieving our climate ambitions.
08:54Why?
08:55Because it's absolutely necessary for the survival of the planet.
08:57So, you know, we have to take that as the starting premise.
09:00We also have to make sure, though, that companies and citizens can work through this
09:05because it is a big transition.
09:06It is a big change.
09:08We've seen in Ireland, and this has been acknowledged by the Commission now,
09:11significant energy costs to our consumers and to our businesses as we deal with that transition.
09:17So, we look forward to proposals coming from the Commission to deal with that.
09:20But, no, our climate ambition must be top for agenda.
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