Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The principal subject of today's agenda is the situation in Ukraine. The joint committee has recently held separate meetings with both the ambassador of Ukraine and the ambassador of the Russian Federation. Today we meet retired ambassador Francis M. O'Donnell who served for five years in Ukraine with the United Nations and is well placed to address the committee authoritatively. On behalf of the committee I welcome the ambassador to our meeting. The format is that we will hear a presentation from him. This will be followed by a question and answer session. With his permission I propose to bank all the questions and he can respond later. I invite Mr. O'Donnell to make his presentation.