Taoiseach Micheál Martin.RollingNews.ie

Taoiseach Micheál Martin is - finally - in Washington, DC, and is due to meet with US President Donald Trump in the White House on Wednesday, March 12.

The meeting comes after reported concerns about what the annual St. Patrick's Day engagements in Washington, DC would look like - or if they would be scrapped altogether - under the new administration, Trump's second. 

Meanwhile, there were calls for politicians across the island of Ireland to boycott the annual events in Washington, DC due to the US response in Gaza. Similar boycott calls were made last year during the Biden administration.

The calls for a boycott intensified after Trump said he would like to see the people of Gaza "resettled" in other countries, such as Jordan or Egypt, and that the "US will take over Gaza."

The SDLP, People Before Profit, and, in a surprise move, Sinn Féin all announced they would be boycotting the events in the US. Sinn Féin leaders, however, did admit that if they held the role of Taoiseach, they would be making the visit.

Indeed, Martin has argued that the unparalleled access to high-level US politicians, including the President himself, should not be squandered, insisting that engagement is key.

On Wednesday morning, the Taoiseach is expected to meet with US Vice President JD Vance for breakfast at the US Naval Observatory, the official residence of the Vice President.

Afterward, Trump is scheduled to greet the Taoiseach at 10:45 am, and their bilateral meeting is due to begin at 10:50 am in the Oval Office. The meeting, which is open to the White House Press Pool, is scheduled to last an hour.

Afterward, the two will attend the Friends of Ireland Luncheon, which is being hosted by US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, a staunch Trump ally.

Later, the St. Patrick's Day reception, which typically features the Taoiseach presenting the President with a bowl of shamrock, is scheduled for 5 pm in the East Room of the White House.

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What the Taoiseach and Trump will talk about during their bilateral meeting on Wednesday has been the focus of much discussion in recent days. There is, of course, no shortage of heavy matters that the two leaders could delve into.

In a statement ahead of his visit, the Taoiseach said he is "delighted" to be meeting with Trump and to "have an opportunity to reflect with him on the bilateral relationship."

He said: "President Trump knows Ireland well, having visited on a number of occasions and I know that his beautiful golf club in Doonbeg is very close to his heart.

"I will update him on the situation in Northern Ireland and express our deep appreciation to the US for their continued support for peace and reconciliation on our island."

He added: “My visit to the US comes at a moment of great peril for the world. The US remains an indispensable partner and global actor.

"I look forward to discussing with President Trump how Ireland, together with our EU partners, can work with him and his administration to end conflict and to secure peace, whether in the Middle East or Ukraine.”

Speaking to reporters in Texas on Monday, the Taoiseach admitted: "There will be a to-and-fro, no doubt, as there has been every year on various issues.

"But we’ll do it in a good manner and in a good way."

Discussions surrounding Ukraine may look different than what the Taoiseach anticipated after Ukraine, following a meeting with US representatives on Tuesday, "expressed readiness to accept the US proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire, which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties, and which is subject to acceptance and concurrent implementation by the Russian Federation."

Responding to the development, the Taoiseach said: "A pathway to peace now exists."