H.E. Ms Larysa Gerasko:

I thank the Chair.

Regarding the coalition on returning children, all together we have to put more pressure on in different international forums and at the bilateral level on Russia for the release of children. There is no other possibility right now for returning children from Russian territory other than putting on more pressure and helping to collect and provide facts and evidence to the ICC to hold Russian criminals to account.

On frozen assets, the Chair will be aware that €1.7 billion in Russian assets were frozen in Ireland. It was a successful step that we got the solution of transferring to Ukraine the interest of these assets, in general everywhere in the world, because Russia is paying for the damage and devastation it has caused. As I mentioned in my statement, unfortunately, our economy and infrastructure need a lot of money for recovery and getting these assets, which total €300 billion, would cover, not most, but quite a lot of the damage.

The imposition of EU sanctions is working, but unfortunately Russia uses loopholes to avoid them and still has access to critical components needed for manufacturing weapons and missiles in the country. Therefore, we need to strengthen the sanctions coalition and close the loopholes as soon as possible. The main priorities are sanctions against Russia's energy sector and the further blocking of the Russian financial sector. Sanctions need to be very harmful to the Russian economy and people. They have to pay. Ireland joined and supported all the sanction packages. We urge all EU member states to impose the next package of sanctions on the energy sector, including the oil industry.

As I mentioned, Ireland participated in the military training of demining forces and we received two pieces of demining equipment, but we need more. I visited one of the enterprises that produces demining equipment and our minister of defence is interested in this equipment. We would appreciate if the Irish would supply or perhaps buy this equipment in the country or invest in or supply more demining machines to Ukraine. Of course that is non-lethal aid.

We need to protect our civilians and provide possibilities for them to work, produce and keep our economy going.

Perhaps I missed something. We need more financial aid, first to recover the energy sector because it is even difficult to think of how Ukrainians will pass through this autumn and winter without electricity. It will be a winter of survival.