Trump's call to replace Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Ukrainian president 'concerning', McEntee says

The US president suggested over the weekend that Mr Zelensky had not done enough to end his country’s war with Russia

Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy (pictured) welcomed Mr Trump's announcement that Ukraine and  Russia had agreed on an 'energy ceasefire', but that Russia continued to hit Ukrainian infrastructure. Photo: AP/Efrem Lukatsky

A call for the replacement of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is "concerning", foreign minister Helen McEntee has said.

Over the weekend, US president Donald Trump said it is time for Ukraine to get a new president, suggesting Mr Zelensky had not done enough to end his country’s war with Russia.

Mr Trump's comments came as he announced that the warring countries had agreed on an “energy ceasefire”, an announcement which Mr Zelensky said he welcomed, but that Russia continued to hit Ukrainian infrastructure.

The US leader had also claimed in a social media post on September 14 that both countries had agreed “not to hit” each other’s energy infrastructure, but offered no details on that proposal either — and nothing came of the purported agreement.

Speaking in Luxembourg at the EU's Foreign Affairs Council, Helen McEntee said the announcements over the weekend were concerning and that Russia's aggression against its neighbour would be discussed by EU foreign ministers.

"What we need to do is refocus and redouble our efforts in keeping pressure on Russia, that has to be our priority, and that is Europe's priority," she said.

"How can we do more to prevent them from being able to conduct this war? How do we continue our solidarity with Ukraine? How do we make sure that, particularly into the new year, we can bring forward our funds and the support loan in particular, because we know that that is needed. 

"How do we make sure that the accession pathway for Ukraine remains very much to the fore, and that is a priority for Ireland and for our EU presidency."

She said the priority has to be to maintain that pressure and also to maintain channels with the US as "this is not going to be achievable without the support of the US". 

"And so we need to maintain that focus and that priority, but also that engagement and all of our channels with the US to try and bring that forward."

Asked about the latest EU sanctions package and whether alumina exports from Ireland could be under the spotlight, Ms McEntee said Ireland's stance has always been in support of Ukraine.

"We have supported every single sanctions package, we have supported every single measure that's been put forward by the commission, and as a country, as presidency, we are absolutely clear: we do not want any hand, act, or part in anything that will support Russia's war against Ukraine."

• Paul Hosford, deputy political editor