Can Ireland defend its trade with Russia?

Summary

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Brussels Playbook Podcast (June 9, 2026): Can Ireland defend its trade with Russia?

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Zoya Shitalovich and policy editor Sarah Wheaton break down three major stories shaping Brussels:

• Ireland’s controversial alumina exports to Russia as it prepares for the EU Council presidency,
• Rising privacy concerns in Brussels over the proliferation of smart glasses,
• The launch of the New European Bauhaus festival.

The episode is characterized by a conversational, witty tone as Zoya and Sarah combine in-depth reporting with lively banter. Throughout, they spotlight the complexity of EU policymaking under international scrutiny and rapid technological change, wrapping up with a humorous listener mailbag segment.

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1. Ireland’s Alumina Exports: EU Presidency Meets Sanctions (00:27–06:30)

The Dilemma for Dublin

• Context: Ireland is set to take over the rotating EU Council presidency, putting it in the hot seat for brokering sensitive topics like sanctions.
• Spotlight: Amid this, a media investigation reveals that Ireland continues to export large amounts of alumina (used for aluminum production but also in military equipment) to Russia, via the massive Aughinish Alumina plant.
• Value & Impact: The plant is Europe’s largest alumina refinery, employing 400 staff and 500 contractors. Since 2023, around half its output (worth about $650 million) goes to two Russian smelters.

“This is a bit of a tricky one for Dublin to navigate because Ireland does represent itself as a big backer of Ukraine...but this is kind of the flip side of that.”
— Zoya Shitalovich (03:20)

Why Is This Legal?

• Sanctions Loophole: These exports are legal because alumina is not sanctioned—it's classified as a dual-use material (civil and military).
• Ownership Links: The refinery’s owner, Rusal, is not sanctioned, but its owner Oleg Deripaska is—a close Putin ally.
• No Evidence (Yet): There’s no direct proof that Irish alumina is being converted into Russian missiles, but the supply chain is “really close to Russia’s war machine.” (Sarah Wheaton, 02:55)

EU & Political Pressure

• Diplomatic Fallout: Estonia and other EU states call for alumina to end up on the next sanctions list; 39 MEPs have urged the Commission to act.

• Dutch MEP Bart Groothuis is quoted:

  “I’m wondering what Irish neutrality actually means. This is not neutrality. One must take a side and you can’t pick Russia’s side.” (04:36)

• Irish Gov’t Defense: PM Michael Martin argues that the plant’s closure would hurt European jobs and the aluminum supply chain, yet the majority of product still goes to Russia.

“You can’t have it both ways there.”
— Zoya Shitalovich (05:18)

• Broader Context: EU exports to Russia have fallen since 2022, but as of 2025, the EU still exports approximately €30 billion in goods including chemicals and machinery.
• Sanctions Dilemma:

  “Every ban is going to create a cost somewhere in Europe…But every exemption creates a vulnerability.”
  — Sarah Wheaton (06:04)

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2. Smart Glasses: Brussels’ Next Privacy Headache (06:30–10:41)

Rise of Smart Glasses

• New Tech in Town: Meta (ex-Facebook) sold 7 million smart glasses with built-in cameras in 2025; other tech giants have entered the market.
• Alarm Raised: Regulators and privacy activists fear these devices enable non-consensual recording in public.

Real-World Abuse

• Swedish Report: Media uncovered that Kenyan subcontractors for Meta reviewed sensitive footage captured by the glasses, including “bathroom visits, banking details, nudity, even people, you know, getting it on.”

  — Sarah Wheaton (07:15)

• Meta’s Defense: The company touts built-in privacy features—like an LED light to signal recording and software to prevent covering the indicator—but critics question their efficacy.

Use Cases (and Worries)

• Journalistic Value:

  “I would really benefit from some smart glasses that could be like, Sarah, this is Zoya. You last met her two weeks ago at the, whatever, reception.”
  — Sarah Wheaton (08:30)

• Public Reaction: Both hosts joke about potential and dubious uses, while inviting listeners’ feedback—“Maybe keep it safe for work.” (09:06)

Regulatory Response

• EU MEPs Step In: Lawmakers question if Meta’s glasses comply with EU privacy rules and call for clearer Commission guidance.
• Lack of Immediate Action: Justice Commissioner McGrath states that enforcement is up to national authorities; the European Data Protection Board has “ordered a report”—a move met with mild skepticism by the hosts.

"Real wild stuff there, ordering a report. Not sure that that's going to be what the MEPs want."
— Zoya Shitalovich (10:14)

• Techie’s Solution: A coder created an app—Nearby Glasses—to alert users to smart glasses nearby, preferring practical action over regulatory wait times.

• Transatlantic Clash: U.S. ambassador Andrew Puzder is an enthusiastic user, calling them “wonderful, wonderful glasses.” (10:41)

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3. The New European Bauhaus Festival: Brussels Gets Inflatable (10:55–12:59)

What Survives the Green Agenda

• Von der Leyen’s Legacy: While much green policy was axed, the New European Bauhaus endures.
• Festival Time: The third annual festival begins, blending “trade fair, EU conference, [and] cultural happening.”
• Activities:
  • Cinquantenaire Park hosts concerts, theater, dance, and inflatable art installations ("Happy Heads" by a Franco-Chinese duo).
  • VIP speeches from Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Council President António Costa, and several EU commissioners.
  • Tours of architectural projects and prototypes.

“I'm still not seeing the link with affordable housing.”
— Zoya Shitalovich (12:17)

“Well, there are going to be some speeches.”
— Sarah Wheaton (12:21)

• Tongue-in-Cheek: The hosts jest about Brussels’ love for “giant heads” and the tenuous connection between inflatable art and solving the housing crisis.

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4. Listener Mailbag: What’s Wrong with Air Travel? (13:10–14:37)

Audience Gripes

• On Airline Seating:

  “Imagine if they did that at the movies. Most people would consider it absurd, yet cheap airlines have normalized the same behavior.”
  — Daniel from Brussels

• On Compensation Hassles:

  “The airline said that it wasn’t actually delayed by that much and so they didn’t want to pay compensation...Now it’s in court.”
  — John from Brussels

• Uber, Not So Cheap:

  “I did once take an Uber from Frankfurt airport to Brussels due to a delayed flight…€400.”
  — Sarah Wheaton (14:28)

• Resolution:

  “Actually the airline paid for it. So there are some happy, happy outcomes.”
  — Sarah Wheaton (14:32)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• “This is a bit of a tricky one for Dublin to navigate...” — Zoya (03:20)
• “Every ban is going to create a cost somewhere in Europe…But every exemption creates a vulnerability.” — Sarah (06:04)
• “Bathroom visits, banking details, nudity, even people...getting it on.” — Sarah (07:15)
• “Real wild stuff there, ordering a report.” — Zoya (10:14)
• “I would look so smart and conscientious.” — Sarah (08:30)
• “I'm still not seeing the link with affordable housing.” — Zoya (12:17)

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Key Timestamps

• 00:27: Episode overview and headlines
• 01:29: Ireland’s alumina exports — key investigation details
• 04:36: EU and international political reactions, MEP quotes
• 06:30: Smart glasses privacy issues introduced
• 07:15: Real cases of privacy breach via smart glasses
• 10:14: Regulatory responses and "Nearby Glasses" app
• 10:55: European Bauhaus festival preview
• 12:17: Critique of policy/arts link in EU festivals
• 13:10: Listener mailbag: airline travel complaints

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Summary prepared in the reporting-driven, conversational tone of the Brussels Playbook Podcast.

Transcript

[Zoya Shitalovich]

So good, so good, so good.

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[Zoya Shitalovich]

Good morning. It's Tuesday, June 9th, and this is the Brussels Playbook podcast. The vibe in Brussels today is awkward as Ireland prepares to take on the EU presidency while at the same time facing uncomfortable questions about what it's still exporting to Russia. Also on the pod, smart glasses. They're moving from sci fi gadget to Brussels. Privacy headache. And visitors to the Cinquantenaire park in Brussels will be met with concerts and inflatable artwork to celebrate the commission's new European Bauhaus initiative. Bear with us. This is going to be a ride. I'm Zoya Shitalovich and with me today is my colleague, policy editor Sarah Wheaton. Hey, Sarah.

[Sarah Wheaton]

Hey, Zoya.

[Zoya Shitalovich]

Have you ever seen a giant inflatable Bauhaus initiative blow up thing in the park now?

[Sarah Wheaton]

I'll have to, I'll have to go check it out.

[Zoya Shitalovich]

Can't wait.

[Sarah Wheaton]

I think it's going to be a gas.

[Zoya Shitalovich]

Oh,

[Sarah Wheaton]

it's early in the week still, folks.

[Zoya Shitalovich]

Sarah, let's first zoom in to what's happening in Dublin. Kaya Kallas, that's the EU's high representative, the top diplomat for the block. She's arriving there today for a meeting with the prime minister, Michael Martin. And she's got some uncomfortable questions for him because what we've seen is this flurry of news reports over the past week about the fact that Ireland is exporting massive amounts of alumina, which is the raw material used to make aluminum, to Russia. Yeah.

[Sarah Wheaton]

And look, they're allowed to do that because you can use this for civilian industry and that's why it's not sanctioned. But like you can also use it to make weapons, aircraft, military vehicles, drones. Drones can be. So it can be used to really hurt Ukraine. And there's been some talk about this Irish alumina export to Russia before, but there's been a big new investigation by Irish media. And of course, when you are about to take on the EU Council presidency, you're going to get more scrutiny.

[Zoya Shitalovich]

Yeah, absolutely. And so at the center of this investigation is this Auchinish alumina plant. And it is, I think it's actually Europe's largest alumina refinery, 400 jobs, 500 contract workers, and they've been exporting since 2023 around half of the alumina that they produce to two Russian smelters. And it's worth around about US$650 million. So it's a pretty significant scale that we're talking about here. Yeah.

[Sarah Wheaton]

And as we were saying, the plant itself is not sanctioned. Rusal, the company that owns it, is not sanctioned, but that company is linked to. To Oleg Deripaska, and he's a billionaire, a friend of Putin's, and he has been sanctioned by the eu. And so, again, there's no proof that Irish alumina has been used to produce missiles. But, you know, we're seeing a supply chain that gets really close to Russia's war machine.

[Zoya Shitalovich]

Yeah. And so there have been calls from places around Europe, from Estonia, for instance, for this to be part of the next EU sanctions package. They do want a crackdown on this alumina export situation. And the tricky thing, of course, is that Ireland is about to take over the Council presidency, as you said earlier, which means that it's going to be the broker on a bunch of files, including things like sanctions negotiations from the 1st of July. So this is a bit of a tricky one for Dublin to navigate because Ireland does represent itself as a big backer of Ukraine, perhaps not so much militarily, because Ireland famously is neutral, but from the perspective of backing its accession prospects. Backing. Backing it. When the EU is looking at sanctions, when the EU is looking to send money to Ukraine, Ireland backs all those things. But this is kind of the flip side of that, which is that they're also having this alumina plant on their territory. That can be quite problematic from the perspective of Ukraine.

[Sarah Wheaton]

Yeah. And so to your point about the vibe being awkward, you know, Kayakalis has already raised some concerns about this, that the EU needs to be more creative on sanctions and that any trade helping to fund Russia's war undermines efforts to end it. And today in Dublin, she's expected to meet with Martin and she might be asking some tough questions about exports.

[Zoya Shitalovich]

Yeah, absolutely. And there's been pressure from elsewhere as well. There have been 39 MEPs who've urged the Commission to act to crack down on this Illumina trade. They want it added to the sanctions list. Dutch MEP Bart Gruthus, he wants a ban. He says, I'm wondering what Irish neutrality actually means. This is not neutrality. One must take a side and you can't pick Russia's side. Interesting.

[Sarah Wheaton]

Well, yeah, but I mean, it's easy to like, you know, put the spotlight on Ireland, but there is this bigger question of other countries who are still exporting to Russia. I mean, exports have fallen massively since 2022, but the EU still exported around 30 billion with a B worth of goods to Russia as of 2025.

[Zoya Shitalovich]

Yeah, and that's like chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food, machinery, transportation equipment. That's all still happening. And that's because basically the EU does not sanction literally all trade with Russia. It picks and chooses which industries to do. And there is often call from elsewhere, from the bal, from the Nordics, calling for more things to be added to the list. We should say so. The Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin's line has been, it's not as simple as just banning it. We will investigate. But like, also sanctioning this plant is going to hurt Europe potentially more than Russia. He said. The thing that he points to is that it's a major employer and it's also part of Europe's aluminum supply chain. Although we should say here it might be part of the supply chain, but more than 50% of its aluminum appears to be going to Russia. So can't have it both ways there.

[Sarah Wheaton]

Yeah, and I mean, look, this is the general dilemma on sanctions. Every ban is going to create a cost somewhere in Europe. You know, jobs, factories, contracts, supply chains. But every exemption creates a vulnerability. And unfortunately for Ireland, I guess this is coming to light just before it starts its presidency.

[Zoya Shitalovich]

Sarah, our second story is about smart glasses, which are becoming a bit of a privacy headache here in town. Have you ever seen any around?

[Sarah Wheaton]

I don't know. I did just buy new glasses over the weekend. But I can assure you that this conversation is not being recorded by my

[Zoya Shitalovich]

glasses and yet is being recorded one way or another, nonetheless. Well, listen, our colleague Eleanor Reagan has a story out today about basically this kind of alarm that's being raised over matters. Smart glasses, which have these inbuilt cameras and microphones. Seven million of these things were sold in 2025. They are the leader in this area. But Google, Samsung and Apple, they've all got products in this market as well. And basically regulators are concerned. What if people are out there just filming people without their consent? Yeah.

[Sarah Wheaton]

And look, the reason that there's this alarm about this is because we're seeing that this is already being abused. Arguably, Swedish media reported that workers for a Meta subcontractor in Kenya were reviewing footage captured by Meta's glasses. And they're a data annotator, so they're supposed to be helping the glasses recognize things, but they were looking at stuff like bathroom visits, banking details, nudity, even people, you know, getting it on.

[Zoya Shitalovich]

And, yeah, that's pretty wild, Sarah. Like, when I read this story, I could not believe that this is what was being happening.

[Sarah Wheaton]

I can completely believe that that's what's happening, actually.

[Zoya Shitalovich]

Yeah, actually true. But the issue here is not only that these glasses can be recording without people knowing, but also, yeah, as you say, that the footage could end up elsewhere. Now, Meta did cut ties with this Kenyan subcontractor, and they did say that there are privacy instruments that they've built into the glasses. So there's an LED light that is on when you're taping, when you're using them, and they've got some sort of system where if you try to cover that light, the something protects the glass. I don't quite know how it works. I don't have any of these things. But anyway, that's their defense. It's that they're not meant for secret spying. They're meant for. Well, I don't know. What are they meant for? What would you use them for, Sarah?

[Sarah Wheaton]

I mean, actually. Actually, I can totally imagine buying these. I mean, look, Zoe, let's be honest. You and I meet people for a living. We go to receptions where we're, like, drinking at the same time that we're trying to, like, match names and faces and God, I'm so bad at matching names and faces that I would really benefit from some smart glasses that could be like, Sarah, this is Zoya. You last met her two weeks ago at the, whatever, reception. And I would look so smart and conscientious.

[Zoya Shitalovich]

I stand corrected. I can see that usefulness. Actually, folks out there in the world, tell us what you would use these glasses for if you had them, or what you would definitely not want to use them for.

[Sarah Wheaton]

Maybe keep it safe for work.

[Zoya Shitalovich]

Yeah, definitely. But anyway, look, the point is, privacy activists, they are concerned nonetheless, despite the various techniques that Meta says that uses to ensure that things are kosher. They said that the glasses are actually just. They're going to be abused, and you don't really have an opportunity to consent to being filmed with them, particularly if someone is walking out on the street. I mean, they might have an LED light on, but, like, if you're just out there and accidentally cross paths with them, you've got no way of saying no. Actually, I don't want my visage being uploaded to some subcontractor somewhere, even if it is in Europe. Not In Kenya. So, yeah, Brussels is starting to move now.

[Sarah Wheaton]

Yeah, I mean, MEPs are getting involved. They've asked the commission if Meta's glasses comply with the EU's privacy rules, renew new MEPs. Just a few days ago, again called on the commission for guidance. They're really not getting that much reassurance from the Commission Commissioner. Michael McGraw, the Justice Commissioner, said that data protection enforcement mainly sits with national privacy authorities and courts. And so these MEPs are worried, you know, that people will discover after the fact that their image, voice or data was collected and shared.

[Zoya Shitalovich]

Yeah. So the European Data Protection Board has ordered a report into this that's expected this summer. But, you know, real wild stuff there, ordering a report. Not sure that that's going to be what the MEPs want in any case, look, some people are taking this into their own hands. There's a coder who's built an app that's called Nearby Glasses, which tells you if someone around you is wearing smart glasses. And he said he just didn't want to wait for regulators to step in because you might be waiting a while. Pretty interesting.

[Sarah Wheaton]

Then again, this has, of course gotten tied up in all the, like, tech regulation, tensions between Brussels and Washington. Just the other day, US Ambassador Andrew Puzder praise his glasses. He said that they are, quote, wonderful, wonderful glasses.

[Zoya Shitalovich]

Yeah, I guess he's a big champion of US Tech. We'll see what the Brussels regulators think about that. Sarah, onto our third story. So it's Ursula von der Line, the Commission president's second mandate, and we've talked about it on the pod before. There's a lot on the scrap heap from her green agenda, thanks to a bunch of red tape slashing exercises. But there is one thing that survived. It's the new European Bauhaus initiative. And we're talking about it today because the third edition of the annual festival of the New European Bauhaus is kicking off as we speak.

[Sarah Wheaton]

Yeah. And so look, it doesn't have much directly to do with the 20th century architectural movement of this kind of boxy buildings. Instead, this is a policy initiative from the Commission, launched, as you said, in 2021, that aims to make affordable dwellings that are sustainable, inclusive, and, of course, beautiful.

[Zoya Shitalovich]

Well, tell me about this festival. What's going on?

[Sarah Wheaton]

So it's part trade fair, part EU conference, part cultural happening, because that's what Brussels is all about. It's cultural happenings. And, you know, so there's going to be a fair in San Quentino park with musical performances, theater and dance, and

[Zoya Shitalovich]

what's this about giant inflatable heads.

[Sarah Wheaton]

There's going to be inflatable heads. Inflatable sculptures called Happy Heads by a Franco Chinese art duo.

[Zoya Shitalovich]

I'm still not seeing the link with affordable housing.

[Sarah Wheaton]

Well, there are going to be some speeches.

[Zoya Shitalovich]

Oh good. From who?

[Sarah Wheaton]

There are going to be speeches and also tours around town of development projects and displays of architectural projects and prototypes. And while this won't be an immediate solution to Europe's housing crisis, there will be a lot of fancy high level European VIPs. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Antonio Costa will open up the evening and then you can expect commissioners Dan Jorgensen, Ekaterina Zaharieva, Jessica Roswell and Rafael Fito.

[Zoya Shitalovich]

Will there be giant blow up head statues of any of them or.

[Sarah Wheaton]

I mean, we can only hope.

[Zoya Shitalovich]

Yeah. All right. The opening night event is tonight. Runs till Saturday. I'm gonna run over to the park and see some giant heads.

[Sarah Wheaton]

Because in Brussels you can only see giant heads.

[Zoya Shitalovich]

You don't even have to go to the park. Foreign. Yesterday we had a shout out to our audience asking them to tell us what they hate about airline travel. And let me tell you, the WhatsApp

[Sarah Wheaton]

line lit up surprised it still like was functional.

[Zoya Shitalovich]

I'm incapable of responding to the messages. I'm going to read you out a few of the choicest responses. Daniel from Brussels reckons it's crazy that airlines intentionally make you sit apart from your friends and family and then charge you extra to sit together. He said that? Imagine if they did that at the movies. Most people would consider it absurd, yet cheap airlines have normalized the same behavior. I'm with you. I'm with you, Daniel. I on principle just will sit apart from anyone so that I don't have to pay €14. Now here's an interesting one. John from Brussels has written in and he says that the most pressing issue for him is actually getting compensation when you are entitled to it. And he said that recently a flight he was meant to be on was delayed by three hours. The airline said that it wasn't actually delayed by that much and so they didn't want to pay compensation. He sent in a bunch of screenshots and then the airline pleaded force majeure. Now it's in court.

[Sarah Wheaton]

I did once take an Uber from Frankfurt airport to Brussels due to a delayed flight.

[Zoya Shitalovich]

How much was that Uber fare?

[Sarah Wheaton]

€400.

[Zoya Shitalovich]

Geez, who paid for that? Sarah?

[Sarah Wheaton]

Actually the airline paid for it. So there are some happy, happy outcomes.

[Zoya Shitalovich]

I guess that was a good day for the Uber driver. All right folks, that's it from us today. Send in your thoughts via WhatsApp. Give us a like tell your friends. Share this with just one person today and then we'll be happy. We need people to listen to us from far and wide. Thanks folks. See you tomorrow.

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