Washington
U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday said he would “love” to see Ireland and British-run Northern Ireland become unified, suggesting that such a development would eventually take place despite the political and constitutional sensitivities surrounding the issue.
Speaking to reporters after meeting Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in Dublin, Trump said he believed Irish unification would ultimately be achieved and described it as a potentially “fantastic thing.” At the same time, he acknowledged that Britain would have an important say in any such process.
“Well, I don’t want to cause any problems, but I will tell you, I’d love to see it unified,” Trump said when asked about the prospect of a united Ireland.
“The way I look at it, it’s going to happen eventually … I think it would be a fantastic thing,” he added.
Trump also recognised the role of the United Kingdom, saying: “Now the UK will have something to say about it … but I think it would be a great thing.”
Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom, while the Republic of Ireland is an independent state. The question of Northern Ireland’s constitutional future has long been one of the most politically sensitive issues in British and Irish affairs.
Under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which largely ended decades of sectarian and political violence known as the Troubles, Northern Ireland’s constitutional status can change if a majority of people in Northern Ireland support joining a united Ireland in a referendum. The agreement also established principles for cooperation between Britain and Ireland and recognised the right of people in Northern Ireland to identify as British, Irish or both.
Trump’s comments therefore touch on an issue that carries significant political weight on both sides of the Irish Sea. Any move towards unification would involve the consent of voters in Northern Ireland and would have major implications for relations between London, Dublin and Belfast.
