Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent leaves powerful two-word message in Irish airport’s welcome book

The U.S. Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, made a brief stop at Shannon Airport in Ireland during his travels from Kyiv, Ukraine. While there, he left a simple yet powerful message in the welcome book at the airport. Bessent wrote, “AMERICA FIRST!” echoing the Trump administration’s motto in just two words.

A photo captured by FOX Business White House correspondent Edward Lawrence showed Bessent’s entry in the welcome book, placed above an entry from former Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Blinken expressed gratitude to the staff at Shannon Airport for always making them feel at home, though the date of his entry was not visible in the photo.

President Donald Trump recently announced that he was sending Bessent to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The discussions were expected to cover topics such as sanctions, rare Earth minerals, and the allocation of U.S. funding. Vice President JD Vance was also scheduled to meet with Zelenskyy during the same week.

Both Bessent’s and Vance’s meetings with Zelenskyy were set to precede U.S. envoy Keith Kellogg’s trip to Ukraine on February 20th. Trump had tasked Kellogg with negotiating a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia to bring an end to the ongoing conflict that has lasted for three years.

In a social media post on Truth Social, Trump emphasized the urgency of ending the war, citing the significant costs in terms of lives lost and destruction incurred. He highlighted the need for a resolution that would bring about peace and stability in the region.

Kellogg had previously met with Ukrainian delegates at the State Department to lay the groundwork for the upcoming negotiations. The administration’s concerted efforts to broker a peace deal underscored the importance of finding a sustainable solution to the conflict.

The developments in Ukraine were closely watched by the international community, with hopes for a peaceful resolution that would benefit all parties involved. As discussions continued and diplomatic efforts intensified, the focus remained on achieving a lasting peace that would bring an end to the suffering and turmoil in the region.

Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.

Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital. For story tips and ideas, you can reach out to Greg.Wehner@Fox.com or follow him on Twitter @GregWehner.