News Review 17/09/2026

Trump's Irish Weekend Took Aim at Dismembering the UK and More

On 12–13 September 2026, US President Donald Trump conducted a two-day visit to the Republic of Ireland, combining diplomatic engagements in Dublin with attendance at the Irish Open golf tournament at his own Doonbeg Resort in County Clare. Trump’s personal business interests in Ireland benefited from the business, but there were also important geopolitical aspects. Trump endorsed Irish reunification: “You have Northern Ireland and you have Ireland and it would seem to me that one of the ‘naturals’ of all time is to put them together”. This is the second time this month that Trump has flippantly suggested that the UK could lose a territory, the first being his suggestion that the Falkland Islands might be handed to Argentina. As for trade: Ireland has become the EU's largest exporter of pharmaceuticals, with €93.8bn in extra-EU exports in 2025, of which the United States absorbed 43.8% and Trump told Irish business leaders: "You took all our medical companies, we’ve got to get a couple of them back. You fleeced us but that’s OK. There’s a lot of room to go around and our relationship with you is fantastic". The relationship is built around the April 2026 pharmaceutical tariff framework, imposing a 100% headline rate but with preferential terms for companies that onshore production to the US. Also, of interest to Trump is that Ireland currently holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, from July through December 2026, which means that Ireland could be pressured to guide the EU to policies that are more favorable to the US.

A New Space Race Begins

The United States has publicly acknowledged deploying weapons in orbit. On September 14, 2026, US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink stated at the Air & Space Forces Association conference that America "now has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversary action", which is the first public confirmation by a Pentagon official. Meink declined to detail their type, quantity, or capabilities, saying specificity "would actually not benefit that deterrence." The Space Force added that "space control" employs kinetic and non-kinetic means to "disrupt, degrade or, if necessary, destroy" adversary systems. The US justifies these weapons by citing threats from Russia and China. The US claims China "develops and operates space and counterspace capabilities as part of a military modernization strategy," including a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile that partially flies into orbit and maneuverable satellites for close-proximity operations. The Space Force also accused Chinese entities of supplying satellite imagery to Iran before an attack that killed three American troops. Regarding Russia, the US asserts Moscow "views space as a warfighting domain" and is developing a space-based nuclear weapon capable of generating an electromagnetic pulse to disable satellites. Moscow denies these claims. China and Russia condemned the move as preparing for space war and fueling an arms race, but this does not violate any international treaties. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty (Article IV) prohibits placing in orbit “any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction”, but does not explicitly ban conventional space weapons.

The US is Preparing a $2.8 billion sale of Bombs to the Jewish Entity

Reuters news agency published on 15 September 2026, that the Trump administration is preparing a $2.8 billion sale of 40,000 2,000-pound bombs to ‘Israel’, including 20,000 MK-84s and 20,000 BLU-117 bomb bodies. The proposed shipment comes as the genocidal entity’s military onslaughts in Palestine and Lebanon continues to generate international criticism. Britain, France, Canada and other countries have followed London's lead with restrictions on trade connected to settlements in the occupied West Bank, but their economic reach is minimal. Despite the symbolic sanctions they are fully committed to maintaining the war machine of the Jewish entity. Britain remains embedded in the F-35 programme, whose global supply chain supplies aircraft used to murder civilians in Gaza and Lebanon, and other European countries, including Denmark, are similarly integrated into the programme. The UK suspended some licences for exports to the Jewish entity but retained an exemption for F-35 components within the wider international production system. The contrast with Russia is difficult to miss. Western governments have constructed elaborate mechanisms to chase components through third countries when they might reach Russia, including contractual "no re-export" requirements, sanctions against intermediaries and enhanced scrutiny of dual-use goods. EU regulations specifically require exporters of certain high-priority items to prevent their re-export to Russia. For the murderous Jewish entity, however, the same argument about complex international supply chains evaporates.

Trump’s Russia-Ukraine Energy Truce Collides with Reality

Donald Trump announced on September 14 that Russia and Ukraine had reached an energy ceasefire, “Ukraine has agreed not to hit Russian Energy targets. Russia has agreed to do likewise!” he declared on Truth Social. He then supplied the reasoning: “The World’s Diesel price rise is mostly caused by the Russia/Ukraine War, not Iran”. However, Ukraine had not actually confirmed the agreement. Zelensky said Kyiv would halt its attacks only if Russia genuinely stopped striking Ukrainian energy and critical infrastructure, while Ukrainian officials said that they had not received details of any truce. Moscow welcomed the idea of Ukraine stopping attacks but did not confirm that Russia had agreed to reciprocate. Trump’s claimed truce followed his outburst the day before: “Mr. Zelensky has to do one thing. He has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia.” There were, he explained, “plenty of other targets.” By September 16, Ukraine had attacked the Rosneft-owned Syzran oil refinery in Russia's Samara region, and Russian strikes were still hitting Ukrainian transport infrastructure, including a passenger bus and train. The “truce” therefore has again highlighted the fantasy world of the US president.

A New Canada-EU Alliance

The European Union opened the door to an unprecedented relationship with Canada, with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposing that Canada become the bloc’s first “associate member”. The proposal, made alongside Prime Minister Mark Carney in Strasbourg on 16 September, 2026, would seek deeper cooperation in defence, critical minerals, energy, artificial intelligence, research and digital trade. The initiative follows US President Trump’s aggressive trade and diplomatic pressures targeting Canada. Carney has been seeking to reduce Canada’s vulnerability to US economic pressure by diversifying trade and strategic partnerships, while Brussels increasingly sees Canada as a reliable source of energy, raw materials and industrial capacity. Reuters described the emerging relationship as a “unique alliance”. The proposed status does not currently exist under EU treaties, and its precise terms remain to be negotiated. The two sides are expected to develop the framework ahead of an EU-Canada summit in October. For Canada, the move represents an attempt to build greater strategic autonomy. For Europe, it offers another hedge against an increasingly transactional relationship with Washington.