In Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris held talks and signed a bilateral agreement.
The Ukrainian President noted that 7 people were killed and more than 50 injured overnight in Lviv due to a Russian missile strike. There were also casualties in Kryvyi Rih as a result of the Russian attack. The second day of clearing the rubble continues in Poltava, where nearly 300 people have been affected overall.
"Under such conditions, we in Ukraine especially appreciate every show of support for our state and our people, and we value the fact that Ireland, a militarily neutral state, is not neutral morally," said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The President thanked Ireland for its unwavering support of Ukraine. Since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, Ireland has provided humanitarian aid and assistance to Ukrainian infrastructure worth €380 million.
Ireland is also participating in the implementation of the Peace Formula and supports sanctions against Russia. During the meeting, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Simon Harris specifically discussed how to make the sanctions regime more effective.
"Unfortunately, Russia is still able to manufacture missiles using components from different countries around the world. Moreover, the Russian state creates various schemes to circumvent sanctions. All of this can only be stopped through strong, timely, and collective efforts by all countries that value a normal rules-based world order and seek peace," the President emphasized.
The leaders signed a bilateral security agreement. According to the Ukrainian President, this document will allow the realization of the full potential of cooperation between Ukraine and Ireland, as well as with partners within the framework of the security agreement architecture.
Simon Harris assured that Ireland would support Ukraine for as long as needed. He also announced that his country would provide an additional €36 million in humanitarian aid.
"We will never allow this to continue and become normalized. And we will never allow events like those that happened this morning to be normalized," stressed the Irish Taoiseach.
During his visit to Ukraine, Simon Harris visited communities in the Kyiv region that experienced Russian strikes and attempted occupation. Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed hope for significant Ireland’s participation in Ukraine's reconstruction.
