Volodymyr Zelenskiy is a tough operator, as any wartime president needs to be. He is one of the few world leaders who has stood up to Donald Trump. The tag-team ambush on Zelenskiy by Trump and his vice-president JD Vance in the Oval Office in February 2025 was an ugly confrontation, where both American politicians tried to bully and humiliate him. During Trump’s nasty parodies and put-downs, and even the insults about his attire, he kept his dignity. “You don’t have the cards,” Trump told him at one stage. “I’m not playing a game of cards,” Zelenskiy responded. This is a politician who does not accept blandishments or roll along with the platitudes. He says it as he sees it, even if it is awkward and embarrassing. And so it was on Wednesday on the opening day of Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union. The Government has put swift Ukrainian access to EU membership at the heart of its presidency between no and the end of the year. Getting Zelenskiy to the opening ceremony in Dublin on Wednesday was a considerable coup for the Government and made it into a genuine media event. The low-profile president of the Council, Antonia Costa, was never going to generate any headlines. Zelenskiy did not rain on the parade exactly but this is a political leader whose style of communication is blunt and direct. And he did not hesitate from referring to the one weak spot of his Irish hosts when it comes to its stance on Ukraine. He said sanctions need to be used to deny “the tools Putin still relies on to keep this war going.” He continued: “This also includes companies in European countries whose only purpose is to work for Russia. Unfortunately, there are companies in Europe that are owned or effectively controlled by Russia and its sanctions oligarchs, they keep supplying the aggressor with essential materials even now.”Those present immediately cottoned on that he was referring to companies such as Aughinish Alumina on the Shannon Estuary. An investigation by The Irish Times found that some of its products were ending up being used in equipment and military materiel being used by the Russian Armed Forces. Later, in a joint press conference with the Taoiseach, Zelenskiy made his most direct appeal yet for action to be taken to cut off the supply.“Every tonne of raw material that ends in Russia is used against us. I do hope whatever we are doing now, we are cutting every possibility, every sphere for Russia to build up, to militarise.”The Government has said to wait for the outcome of an investigation being undertaken by the EU Commission. Its argument is that sanctions should hurt the aggressor more than the country in which the materials are being produced. But that argument is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain. EU to propose ban Union-wide ban on goods and services from Occupied TerritoriesAnd so, hot on the heels of Zelenskiy, the entire European Commission arrived into Cork for a two-day trip hosted by Micheál Martin, and attended by the Cabinet. Its president Ursula von der Leyen is hardly the flavour of the month in Ireland and her support of Israel throughout the onslaught of Gaza has been highly controversial. Staff and students at University College Cork, where the meetings are being held, have held protests over the EU’s inaction against Israel. The joint meeting between the Cabinet and the College of EU Commissioners is taking place this (Friday) afternoon in UCC. In advance of the meeting Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee told reporters that at the next meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council on Monday July 13th, proposals would be tabled proposing an EU-wide ban on goods from land illegally seized by Israeli settlers. She added the proposed ban would also include services in addition to goods. Such a development would be highly significant. After a two-year saga over whether or not services would be included in the Irish Bill on the Occupied Territories, the Government said that it could not include services, such as Airbnb bookings, unless it was done across the Union. So, if the EU finally begins to move, and includes services, that will really get the Government over the hump on this one. And it can also argue that it was to the forefront in the lobbying to get it over the line. The fact that it might happen during Ireland’s presidency will also be significant. Jim O’Callaghan’s dispute with the Legal ProfessionJim O’Callaghan has been an active Minister for Justice and has managed to rub up many groups the wrong way. Now, he has raised the ire of his own legal profession, with a decision to change the way in which lawyers working in the criminal legal aid system are paid. Until now, the lawyers have been paid per appearance. But O’Callaghan has introduced a new system where they are paid €520 per client. He has cited the fact that legal aid defendants make an average of five appearances in court, compared to three for those who have not availed of legal aid. He has also argued that despite the number of legal aid clients not increasing, the costs of the scheme have increased substantially. At a sometimes heated meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Justice during the week, O’Callaghan stood over the changes. Afterwards Committee chair Matt Carthy took the step of writing to O’Callaghan to suspend the new model saying there was a “lack of available evidence, and sufficient analysis” to justify the changes. Carthy said that the Committee members were unanimous in his view. In a twist to the tale, the Fianna Fáil members of the Committee issued a statement on Thursday hitting out at Carthy’s letter and asking him to withdraw his claim that his letter was supported unanimously by members. They said they “fully supported” O’Callaghan’s move. As Jack Horgan-Jones reported, Carthy said the proposal to write to O’Callaghan was made by Fine Gael TD Paula Butterly during an open session of the committee.“I asked was it agreed and no member objected and that’s how committees work, someone has to object for a vote to be called,” Carthy said, arguing it was “absolutely in order”.“The Fianna Fáil members were either asleep at the meeting or are now trying to backtrack as to what was clearly agreed,” he said. David Andrews RIPThe funeral of David Andrews, former Minister for Foreign Affairs, will be held in Blackrock on Saturday morning. The long-time Fianna Fáil TD and barrister belonged to a celebrated political family with connections to the foundation of the States. Andrews was droll and phlegmatic, never getting too fussed by any circumstances and had a wry sense of humour. When he was appointed to the strange portfolio of Marine and Defence, he quipped that he had just been made Minister for Fish and Ships.Something for the Weekend Miriam Lord and Pat Leahy’s columns in tomorrow’s Irish Times. Hugh Linehan is joined by Pat and Jack Horgan-Jones for the Friday Catch-up of Inside Politics, which will be available today.