TAOISEACH SIMON HARRIS hugged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as he landed in Ireland for a bilateral meeting.
It is their first bilateral meeting on Irish soil and is focused on Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Zelenskyy landed at Shannon Airport in Co Clare at noon.
He embraced Harris after descending the steps from his state aircraft. The leaders also shook hands, with Ukrainian ambassador to Ireland Larysa Gerasko also present.
Asked by reporters for his message to Ireland, Zelenskyy said: “First of all, thank you so much for your support, thanks to Ireland for hosting a lot of Ukrainian refugees, you were with us from the very beginning of the Russian invasion.”
Zelenskyy was also asked about US President Joe Biden mistakenly referring to him as “President Putin”.
He replied: “It’s a mistake. I think United States gave a lot of support for Ukrainians. We can forget some mistakes, I think so.”
While discussing the future of the conflict during the bilateral, Harris expressed his condolences for the citizens whom Ukraine has lost in the war including the bombing of Ukraine’s largest children’s hospital earlier this week.
He also expressed Ireland’s full support for Ukraine’s bid towards EU membership.
During their meeting, both leaders discussed the situation on the ground and the view of the months ahead, and Harris expressed Ireland’s full support for Ukraine’s ongoing bid for EU membership.
Harris offered further Irish assistance for the thousands of Ukrainian children who have been forcibly relocated to Russia and Belarus and entered into Russian re-education programs since the war began in February 2022.
Speaking after the meeting, the Taoiseach said he will visit Kyiv “in the coming weeks”.
He invited Zelenskyy to conduct an official visit to Ireland and added that the Ukrainian president was “very eager” to address the Irish parliament.
Harris said the two leaders discussed a potential bilateral agreement on demining, energy, humanitarian assistance and food security.
“I’ve just had a very good meeting with President Zelenskyy. I’m very pleased to welcome to Ireland.”
He added: “I took the opportunity to expresses condolences on behalf of the people of Ireland to the people of Ukraine, to the president of Ukraine, for all the loss of civilian life throughout this brutal illegal war of Russian aggression.”
Harris also said that Zelenskyy had thanked the Irish people for their support of Ukraine.
“It never fails to amaze and inspire me as to how committed he is to the cause of Ukrainian freedom,” the Taoiseach said.
“I know what he wants, above and beyond everything else, is to have a situation where his citizens – men, women and children – can live safely in Ukraine again.
“As I said to him today: ‘We will keep your people safe and we will mind them for as long as it takes, here in Ireland, they’re welcome. But I know you ultimately want them back home and they ultimately want to be back home’. That’s the common aim that everyone’s working towards.”
During the meeting, Harris also confirmed Ireland’s membership of an international coalition for the return of the estimated 20,000 children.
“Russia is actively stealing children from Ukraine. It is taking young babies and children from the clutches of their parents and it is bringing them to either temporarily-occupied territories or to Russia,” he said.
He added: “Whilst we need the war to stop and we need peace in Ukraine, we need these children back home with their parents, today, where they belong.”
Harris also said Ireland would be making a contribution of €7 million to the European Investment Bank’s “EU for Ukraine” fund, which addresses food and energy security needs, as well as support for refugees.
Harris and Zelenskyy last met at the Ukraine Peace Summit in Switzerland last month.
To date, Ireland has provided €250 million in non-lethal military assistance to Ukraine under the European Peace Facility, while the Irish Defence Forces have trained 455 Ukrainian personnel in demining, battlefield casualty care and the use of non lethal mine clearance equipment.
Ireland has also welcomed 108,000 Ukrainian refugees under the EU Temporary Protection Directive since the war began.
With reporting from Niall O’Connor and Press Association.
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