Irish Examiner View: ‘Ambitious targets’ can’t be all talk

Tue, 25 Nov, 2025 - 01:00

Timely access to basic healthcare should be one of the minimum asks of every health service, but once again ours has been found wanting.

It is not acceptable that potentially life-saving scans for tens of thousands of people are being delayed and that more than 46,000 people have been waiting for up to 18 months to be seen.

Standing firm on war in Ukraine

Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy looks into the camera while delivering a video address to the nation in Kyiv, Ukraine.

The blunderbuss diplomacy policies of the US, with the trigger being pulled by Donald Trump in characteristic fashion, will not in itself bring an end to the war in Ukraine.

Unfortunately, Trump’s mysterious allegiance to Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, led to what appeared to be a Moscow-biased ‘peace plan’, which involved Ukraine losing much territory, unable to join Nato, and being militarily emasculated, and was rightly panned by any reasoned observer.

That there is growing momentum in the efforts to stop this needless — and illegal — war which was, after all, instigated by the Russians, is very welcome. But its belligerence in trying to dictate the terms of a cessation of hostilities is not acceptable to anyone outside the Kremlin.

European leaders, meeting on the sidelines of the EU-Africa summit in Angola, concluded that Ukrainian red lines on territory and sovereignty had to be respected. This was in stark contrast with Trump’s grouchy assertion that by not agreeing to obviously unpalatable terms, Kyiv was being “ungrateful”.

Thankfully some common sense has prevailed with US and Ukrainian officials reportedly having narrowed the gaps between them yesterday and modifying the 28-point peace plan.

In a joint statement, Washington and Kyiv said they had drafted a “refined peace framework” with details yet to emerge.

EU leaders have been of one voice in their opinion that while many issues remain unresolved, the direction of the negotiations has been positive. They have also noted that US attempts to blindside Europe on the talks will not work.

Sweden and Poland — both having borders with Russia, are understandably nervous about any capitulation to Moscow, sensing they could be next in line if Russia’s expansionism widens — are both pushing for further pressure on the Russians, including the use of its frozen assets within the EU.

We too here in Ireland are not isolated from Russian threats — as seen in the past week by the presence of a spy ship in our waters and an admission by authorities that the Russians jammed an Irish aircraft communications channel.

Peace will not happen overnight, but the Russians need to know they cannot get their way merely by pulling levers in Washington and gaslighting the rest of us with unadorned poppycock.

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