Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

I appreciate the opportunity to participate in this important debate as we approach the fourth year of Russia’s full-scale illegal war of aggression against its peaceful neighbour, Ukraine. It is essential that we never lose sight of the fact that Russia, in a fundamental violation of the UN Charter and international law, launched an unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine, a European country and fellow United Nations member state. Each day Russia continues its brutal war against Ukraine and its occupation of Ukrainian territory is another day that Russia violates international law and makes the world, in particular Europe, a less secure, more dangerous place. How Europe and the international community respond will have far-reaching consequences for Ukraine, European security and the future of the rules-based international order.

Russia has continued its full-scale aggression without pause since 24 February 2022. Since then, indescribable suffering has been inflicted upon the people of Ukraine. Millions have been forced to flee their homeland and millions more are internally displaced. Hundreds of thousands have been killed with thousands more, including children, forcibly removed, tortured or arbitrarily imprisoned by Russian forces. Villages, towns and even entire cities have been completely destroyed in the fighting that continues unabated. Ukraine and the Ukrainian people are valiantly withstanding a massive recurring Russian onslaught. Nightly drone and missile strikes have intensified. These aerial bombardments are indiscriminate and do not distinguish between military targets and civilian infrastructure. Their sole objective is to impose terror, inflict suffering and break the spirit of the Ukrainian people.

Yet Ukraine and its people fight on, exercising their right under the UN Charter to defend themselves. Each day they continue their heroic efforts to defend their country and the fundamental freedoms that we in Ireland and across Europe hold dear, particularly the right of all people to live peacefully within their own borders without fear of being invaded. I witnessed the outstanding courage, resolve and determination of Ukrainians first-hand when I visited Kyiv in 2022 and 2023. I pay tribute again to the people of Ukraine for their bravery. I have paid this tribute directly to President Zelenskyy and in my latest phone call with him in September, I expressed my, and the Irish people’s, solidarity with the people of Ukraine. I invited President Zelenskyy to visit Ireland to witness first-hand this solidarity and I look forward to welcoming him in the near future.

Almost four years on from Russia’s full-scale invasion, tragically, it seems that we are no closer to peace. Russia is counting on us to grow tired and become distracted by competing priorities but it will be disappointed.

Alongside our European Union partners, Ireland’s support for the people and government of Ukraine is steadfast. Providing this continued support for Ukraine is not only the right thing to do but it is in our fundamental national interest. What happens in Ukraine today will shape the world we live in tomorrow. That is why Ireland’s support for Ukraine remains as strong today as it was on day one of Russia’s invasion. We will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.

The European Union has been steadfast in its solidarity with Ukraine since the first day of this terrible war. We are working with our partners in the EU to provide real and tangible assistance to Ukraine and to respond substantially to Russia’s illegal invasion. This commitment was a major focus of October’s European Council meeting, where European leaders were briefed by President Zelenskyy on recent developments in Ukraine, including Russia’s escalation of strikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure. In response, my fellow leaders and I reconfirmed the EU’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. The EU is providing, in co-ordination with like-minded partners and allies, comprehensive political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support to Ukraine and its people.

The EU is also working to show Russia that there is no positive outcome to the war. Through unprecedented EU sanctions, we are having an impact. Russia is finding it harder to access battlefield equipment and to generate revenue to pay for its illegal war. Russia must be held accountable for its actions and should have to pay for the destruction it has caused. There must be an economic cost to such flagrant violations of international law. This cost must also act as a deterrent against Russia or any other country contemplating any future violation of the UN Charter and international law. We therefore support the European Union’s initiative for a reparations loan to Ukraine using immobilised Russian assets.

We all want this war to end but it must end on the basis of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace, one that respects Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and the principles of the UN Charter and international law. It is also vital that Ukraine’s security is protected in the long term. That means strong, credible guarantees that ensure Ukraine can defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity to avoid a repetition of the past. Despite sustained US and European diplomatic efforts towards peace and Ukraine’s readiness to pursue it, Russia is intent on escalating the war.

The obvious reality is that President Putin continues each day to choose violence and destruction over peace, disregarding alternatives to its chosen path of needless invasion, war and further bloodshed. Time and again, the international community has offered Putin the chance to stop the killing, agree to a ceasefire and pursue peace and time and time again, he has refused. Actions speak louder than words. It is for Russia now to show through its actions a willingness to achieve peace by halting its brutal attacks and agreeing to a full and unconditional ceasefire. It can do so at any time. Now is the time to increase the pressure on Russia and to redouble efforts to secure a ceasefire.

As winter comes upon us, Russia is relentlessly targeting Ukraine’s energy facilities with drone and missile attacks, directly killing people in the process and imperilling the safety and security of all Ukrainians. Access to the most basic needs, including water, shelter and protection services, continues to be extremely challenging for many. If we, Ukraine’s allies and friends, do not step up and support its efforts to safeguard its critical infrastructure, more people will be displaced. Millions could be forced to leave their homes simply to stay alive. The humanitarian and regional consequences will be immense. In this context, it is more important than ever that we bolster support for Ukraine in every way we can.

Since 2022, Ireland has provided more than €273 million in bilateral assistance to Ukraine. This includes €173 million in humanitarian and stabilisation assistance and an additional €100 million in non-lethal military support for Ukraine, which was announced last March. Among the projects that Ireland is currently supporting are the construction of underground clinics to safely provide services at two Kharkiv maternity hospitals, the building of civic protection shelters and the provision of school meals to children in front-line districts. We are also providing financial support to carry out critical repair work to Ukraine’s war-damaged energy infrastructure. Our support for Ukraine will continue when this war ends and Ukraine can begin its recovery and reconstruction.

Russia’s full-scale invasion triggered the largest displacement crisis in Europe in decades, with millions displaced and in need of continued, life-saving support. Since February 2022, Ireland has granted temporary protection to over 120,000 Ukrainians forced to leave their homeland and seek sanctuary here, one of the highest per capitarates in Europe. We have invested significantly in providing a safe haven for Ukrainian refugees. Some sought refuge for a while before returning home. Some moved on to other countries. Some remain and are making an invaluable contribution, enriching our society and culture.

Many have been taken into homes and communities across the State, and I want to take a moment to thank the people of Ireland for their generosity in offering safe haven to so many Ukrainians. To the Ukrainians who are here, this is your home for as long you need it. I have no doubt that, in time, you will play a crucial role in rebuilding your country when it is once again safe to do so.

Russia’s war of aggression continues to have far-reaching consequences beyond the borders of Ukraine. It has compounded an already fragile global food security situation, with major implications for food and agricultural commodity prices. Russia continues to weaponise hunger by targeting Ukraine’s grain and critical infrastructure. This not only inflicts suffering on Ukrainian people, but also has a disproportionate impact on those most vulnerable to food insecurity around the world. Despite these significant challenges, the Ukrainian people have demonstrated their commitment to maintaining Ukraine as one of the world's top agricultural producers. Ukraine’s efforts to remain a top grain exporter help to defend us from global hunger.

When I visited Kyiv in July 2022, I had the honour of laying flowers at the memorial to the Holodomor, Ukraine’s catastrophic famine, which took place in the 1930s. Ireland recognises that the resulting trauma of that famine remains and is deeply felt by the Ukrainian people, shaping a profound empathy for those who suffer from hunger today. As a champion of global efforts to reduce hunger and starvation, rooted in our own historical experience of famine, Ireland will continue to work with Ukraine and our EU and international partners to meet the needs of people and communities affected by food insecurity. I am pleased to announce that Ireland will provide €2 million to the food from Ukraine programme, which will be launched at a food security summit in Kyiv tomorrow, and which will contribute to tackling global hunger and improving child nutrition.

We have read and heard horrific reports of gross and systematic violations of human rights by Russia. One of Russia’s most brutal and egregious crimes has been the forcible transfer of Ukrainian children from their homes. Ireland is a member of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children. In September, I participated in a meeting of the coalition at the UN General Assembly, where I expressed Ireland’s support for the efforts to ensure the safe return of Ukrainian children. Any peaceful resolution to Russia’s war must involve the return of all forcibly transferred people, including children. This is an appalling act and such actions amount to war crimes. We must work to hold those responsible to account.

Ireland supports the continued investigations of the International Criminal Court in Ukraine and welcomes the historic progress made towards establishing the special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. We are actively engaging with our partners in the Council of Europe to ensure that the special tribunal can be operational as quickly as possible.

This war and the threat posed by Russia are not only an existential threat to Ukraine, but a major challenge to the security we value so greatly. It is more important than ever that Europe and the United States continue to work together to achieve a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. A just and lasting peace must bring stability and security. It must respect international law, including the principles of independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and that international borders must not be changed by force.

Ireland has always insisted that an end to the war must be obtained through diplomatic means, with the full participation of Ukraine in any peace talks. We welcome the efforts of all partners, including US President Donald Trump, towards that goal.

As Russia continues to refuse to come to the table, the world must increase economic and political pressure on it until it does. Those of us who have joined the coalition of the willing in support of Ukraine will stand with Ukraine, shoulder-to-shoulder, for as long as it takes. With our European and international partners, we will strengthen and tighten our sanctions and work to cut off Russia's energy revenues, the lifeblood of its war machine. We will also work to increase our support to Ukraine to strengthen its defences and protect Ukraine's critical infrastructure. We will put in place the security guarantees that Ukraine needs to underpin any future peace agreement. Ireland believes that, ultimately, the greatest security guarantee that we can offer to Ukraine is membership of the European Union, the most successful peace project in the history of this Continent. I have been a strong early supporter of Ukraine's pathway to membership of the European Union. As a Government, we strongly support Ukraine's application for EU membership and are determined to advance it under our Presidency of the European Union next year.

The world has been humbled by the strength and resilience of the people of Ukraine. While the current challenges may seem insurmountable, we must not falter in our resolve. We recognise that our continued support for Ukraine is a necessity, not a choice. That is why Ireland stands with Ukraine now and in the future. Go raibh míle maith agaibh agus slava Ukraini.

See this speech in context