Taoiseach meets with Ukrainian president Zelenskyy at Shannon Airport
Taoiseach Micheál Martin meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Shannon Airport. Picture: Eamon Ward
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has met with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Shannon Airport on Thursday.
Mr Martin met with Mr Zelenskyy at the airport this lunchtime, while the Ukrainian president stops off briefly on his way to the United States.
Mr Zelenskyy is due to meet with US president Donald Trump on Friday, with the two leaders set to formally sign a rare-earth minerals deal.
The Taoiseach discussed a range of issues during his meeting with Mr Zelenskyy, including working towards a “sustainable and durable” peace settlement in Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr Martin said Mr Zelenskyy was very thankful to the people of Ireland.
Mr Martin said: “We made it clear that we would push very strongly for an accelerated timeline in terms of Ukrainian membership of the European Union. He’s very keen on that.
“It’s a priority because, in itself, it gives certain security guarantees to Ukraine, but economically also it opens up very significant opportunities for Ukraine into the future, and he appreciates our steadfast support from the beginning to Ukrainian accession to the European Union.
“We discussed support by Ireland, financially, to Ukraine. I explained that our commitments under the European Peace Facility have been frustrated by Hungary’s decision to veto the deployment of the European Peace Facility fund, set up by the European Union.
“We are looking at alternative approaches to give financial aid to Ukraine and a number of ideas came up during the meeting.
“In particular, they have a comprehensive programme of feeding their children in schools, which is limited, and we’ve undertaken to support that initiative, and will work with Ukrainian officials in that regard.”
Mr Martin had been due to travel to Belfast on Thursday to hold meetings with First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, as well as the leaders of the Alliance Party and the SDLP.
Mr Martin also said Mr Zelenskyy is “very focused” on having Europe centrally involved in a potential peace settlement. He said the Ukrainian president values the support he has received from the United States.
Describing their meeting as warm, Mr Martin added: “I think he has a very clear focus. I think he’s very clear in his own head in terms of where he wants to take this, and he wants to engage, obviously, particularly with (US) President (Donald) Trump.
“He values very much the support he has received from the United States, a very strong partner to Ukraine.
“I think the engagement, the fact that he’s visiting Washington, is good in itself. So, from that perspective, I think he’s looking forward to the meeting.”
Mr Martin said he told Mr Zelenskyy that Ireland is open to helping, including sending peacekeepers to Ukraine.
The visit was cancelled earlier this morning. Sources in Belfast said that officials from Mr Martin’s office cancelled the visit early on Thursday morning, stating that he had “urgent international business” to address which occurred overnight.
It was to be Mr Martin’s first visit to Northern Ireland as Taoiseach since he was reappointed to the role.
Mr Martin was due to deliver a keynote address at the Dublin Belfast Economic Corridor Summit at the International Convention Centre in Belfast.
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