GOOD MORNING.

Here’s all the news you need to know as you start the day.

1. Zelenskyy says relations with Trump can improve

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said his relations with the US can be repaired, following a disterous meeting with President Donald Trump at the Oval Office in Washington yesterday.

Speaking to Fox News following the unprecedented scenes, Zelenskyy said that US-Ukraine ties are more than about two presidents, telling the programme that relations can “of course” be salvaged.

2. Pope ‘resting’ after a quiet night in Rome

Pope Francis is resting this morning, following a quiet night in hospital in Rome, the Vatican has shared.

The Pontiff yesterday was placed on an non-invasive mechanical ventilator after reportedly suffering a breathing ‘crisis’. His office said this morning that he may remain on the machine for up to 48 hours.

3. Serious fatal crash in Donegal

A male in his teens and a male in his 20s have died following a single-vehicle crash in Co Donegal last night.

The crash occurred at around 9.30pm in Baltoney, Gortahork, Donegal after a vehicle crashed into a gable wall of a home.

Two other male passengers, one in the front seat, aged in his 20s, and another in a rear seat, aged in his teens, are at Letterkenny University Hospital. Both are in a serious condition, gardaí said.

4. Gene Hackman’s pacemaker last active on 17 February

Tests on a pacemaker belonging to the late actor Gene Hackman have found that the last event was recorded on 17 February, police have said.

The two-time Oscar winner, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 65, were found dead, along with one of their dogs, at their home in New Mexico on Wednesday, and police said there were no apparent signs of foul play.

Initial post-mortem examinations, carried out by the pathologist at Santa Fe, have determined that no external trauma was caused to either individual and there is no evidence of carbon monoxide poisoning at this time.

5. Landlords in the Dáil

A total of 32 politicians in the Dáil have declared that they rented out property or land last year.

Five TDs also declared an income from contracts with the Department of Integration for housing asylum seekers or refugees or with local authorities for renting a property to someone receiving the Housing Assistance Payment.

Another TD also said their spouse owned a property that had a contract with the Department of Integration. Read the full piece by Stephen McDermott here.

6. Irish peacekeepers in Ukraine 

The Tánaiste has said that Irish troops will not participate in a ‘peace enforcement’ mission in Ukraine, and will only participate if troops are not required to engage combatants.

Simon Harris, who is also Defence Minister, said that his government would not support sending Irish soldiers into situations where they would have to fight to enforce peace in Ukraine.

“We very much would see our roles as we generally do in this space of peacekeeping, not peace enforcement,” he said.

7. The Oscars – everything you need to know

The biggest night in Hollywood is just one day away, and our reporter Jane Moore has tallied up everything you must know ahead of the ceremony.

The 97th Academy Awards will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles tomorrow night.

The ceremony will kick off at 12am Irish time, and while there is limited Irish interest this year, US late night television host Conan O’Brien – who claims Irish-American heritage – will be hosting the awards for the very first time.

8. Taoiseach: White House scenes ‘unsettling’

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that yesterday’s scenes in the White House were “quite extraordinary and very, very unsettling”, amid heightened concern over the future of a peace deal for the war in Ukraine.

Appearing on The Late Late Show, Martin told host Patrick Kielty that the day was a “huge” setback for a truce in the Ukraine-Russia war.

9. Ukrainian refugees leaving Ireland for healthcare

Polina Bashkina, a Ukrainian journalist living in Ireland, writes in our Voices section this morning about why Ukrainian refugees are leaving Ireland to receive healthcare treatment.

In Ireland’s healthcare system, Ukrainian refugees face months-long waits for urgent medical treatment — some find it better at home, even during wartime.