Ukrainians will need more help to 'find their feet' and begin contributing, says ambassador 

Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Colm Kelleher; Ukrainian ambassador to Ireland Larysa Gerasko; and Ann Doherty, chief executive of Cork City Council at Cork City Hall. Piucture: Larry Cummins

Ukrainians who have fled war do not want to be a drain on the Irish taxpayer and want to work, their ambassador to Ireland has said.

But they will need more help to find their feet and contribute, Larysa Gerasko said.

She was speaking in Cork on Thursday after a briefing from the Lord Mayor Colm Kelleher, city officials, and key agencies on the city’s community response forum, on their efforts to help Ukrainians who have fled the war.

It is estimated there are at least 1,000 Ukrainians now living in the city and county, with several thousand more expected over the coming weeks.

Ms Gerasko said Ukrainians who have arrived here are very grateful to the Irish Government, to local authorities and agencies for the support and solidarity shown to date.

“I would like to pay a special tribute to the Irish people for their huge response to the war and for their generosity and kindness,” she said.

But despite the accommodation, access to the education system and to medical care, she said the “new arrivals” need more support to make their life here “a little bit easier”.

Among the additional supports required are English language classes, help finding a GP, securing school places for children, and additional medical supports for those with physical disabilities.

English language classes

She said many of the new arrivals want to work, and are looking for work, but English language lessons are needed to help them, especially professionals like doctors, nurses, teachers and others, access the workforce. 

“Most of the Ukrainians are ready to learn English to improve their skills,” she said.

“Ukrainians, our nation, are hard-working. The second day here people try to find work. They don’t want to get welfare and to spend Irish taxpayers’ money. They are ready to work on the second day.” 

She became emotional as she spoke about the emerging evidence of atrocities and war crimes in cities like Bucha and Mariupol, where she said Ukrainian forces have found evidence of summary executions, of civilians being tortured and raped, and several bodies where the tongues have been cut out.

She also spoke of her ongoing concern for her brother and her parents, who are still in Ukraine.

Even though Russian military forces have recently withdrawn from their towns, she said air raid sirens still sound daily.

“There is no safe place in Ukraine now,” she said.

Peace talks

She said she hoped peace talks would resume soon and that a draft settlement prepared by the Ukrainians, and which was presented at the last round of negotiations last week, requires the support of several countries.

“They need to be parties to that settlement. France, Germany, the US and other permanent members of the UN Security Council have to be part of this agreement, and have to act as guarantor states of our security," she said.

“We need commitments from all these countries in case of threats or further invasion.

“We don’t trust Russia. We are looking for a peaceful settlement. We don’t want to pay a bigger price in human life so that is what we are looking for — a peaceful settlement.” 

Later, Ms Gerasko attended a Cork International Film Festival-hosted charity screening of the Cannes award-winning film Donbass by acclaimed Ukrainian filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa, with all proceeds going to support Ukrainian filmmakers.