Zelenskiy meeting with US envoys overshadows EPC summit in Dublin

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49:20

Pat Leahy and Cormac McQuinn join Jack Horgan-Jones to look back on the week in politics:

• Away from the traffic disruption, security zones and high-level diplomacy of the European Political Community summit taking place at the Convention Centre on Dublin’s North Wall Quay, a meeting of greater jeopardy was unfolding at Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel on the outskirts of Dublin. Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky met US envoys Jared Kushner and businessman Steve Witkoff to discuss ongoing Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations and receive a briefing on the envoys’ earlier talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. All indications now point to Europe taking part in the next round of peace talks.

• Amid the greeting of dozens of heads of state at the EPC summit, and excelling in his role as host, Micheál Martin displayed a rare moment of hesitation when discussing his future as Fianna Fáil leader. During a lengthy interview on Morning Ireland broadcasting from the summit, the Taoiseach didn’t dismiss talk of his leadership ending before the next general election with his usual certainty.

• It was a good week for Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan as he can finally start to move on from the protracted dispute over a new legal aid payment model introduced in July with criminal defence solicitors to fully return to work as a deal was finally agreed. Another agreement of greater significance also happened this week as the €5bn pay deal got over the line, but Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers said the Government would seek to invoke the review clause should the economy contract significantly.

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

• The phasing out of smoke flavourings, taxpayers’ money propping up greyhound racing, and a painful personal WWII story.

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