Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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186. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the current and future engagements he has had in relation to Ukraine in terms of meetings here in Ireland or with European counterparts, planned visits and committed funding over the next six months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40691/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Ireland’s support for Ukraine is steadfast and remains a key focus of my engagements with my EU counterparts, both bilaterally and in Brussels. This war, and the threat posed by Russia, is not only an existential issue for Ukraine, but a major challenge to the security of Europe. It is right, therefore, that support for Ukraine remains a top priority at EU level.

Russian aggression features prominently on the monthly agenda of the Foreign Affairs Council, where Ministers are regularly joined by Foreign Minister Sybiha to hear directly about the situation on the ground and Ukraine’s most pressing needs. On 23 June, the Council discussed coordinating a strong and united European response behind Ukraine, including by stepping up the EU’s political and military support. Minister Sybiha highlighted recent developments in Ukraine, including Russia’s escalating strikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure. These discussions continued at the most recent FAC on 15th July.

It is clear that Russia is not engaging in peace talks in good faith, and maintains its maximalist demands. In this context, it is more important than ever that we bolster support for Ukraine across all work stands.

I welcome ongoing discussions with EU Member States on stepping-up military support for Ukraine, playing a constructive role in any potential peace process, and contributing to security guarantees as part of a peace agreement.

I had the opportunity to visit Kyiv in September 2024, where I witnessed the brutal consequences of Russia’s full-scale invasion first-hand. While there I stood side by side with President Zelenskyy and signed a comprehensive bilateral agreement on support and co-operation between Ireland and Ukraine. This sets out our commitment to continuing to provide Ukraine with the support it needs as it defends itself against Russian aggression, and covers a range of areas of bilateral cooperation.

I subsequently met with Minister Sybiha in the margins of the Munich Security Conference in February.

It was a further privilege to be joined virtually by Minister Sybiha when he addressed the Global Ireland Summit on 6 May. The Minister pointed to the global ramifications of Russia’s full-scale invasion, including by undermining the multilateral rules-based order on which we rely for peace and prosperity.

The commitment to Ukraine is shared across Government. Minister of State Richmond attended the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome on 10 July, where there was a strong Ukrainian delegation, led by President Zelenskyy and including Minister Sybiha. This annual event is important in terms of mobilising continued international support for the recovery, reconstruction, reform, and modernisation of Ukraine.

Minister Richmond also attended an informal meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Lviv on 9th May, as well as a Ministerial meeting of the Core Group for the establishment of a Special Tribunal to ensure that those responsible for Russia’s aggression face justice.

In April, Minister of State Byrne visited Odesa to open an underground school shelter co-funded by Ireland, and travelled on to Kyiv for meetings with Ukrainian interlocutors focused on Ireland’s commitment to supporting Ukraine, including on its EU accession path.

Across these engagements, Ireland has underlined our commitment to working with Ukraine and our partners to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace that protects Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, in line with the principles of the UN Charter, and provides the necessary security guarantees so that we do not see a return to Russian aggression in the future.

Ireland has provided extensive political, humanitarian, non-lethal military, and economic support to Ukraine since February 2022. This includes €138 million in humanitarian assistance and stabilisation supports. We will maintain steady support in 2025.

I recently announced the allocation of €100 million to provide non-lethal military support to Ukraine. This support will be provided through partnerships with EU Member States already procuring from Ukraine and through the Ukraine Defence Contact Group Coalitions on De-mining and ICT.

I am committed to working with my EU partners in the period ahead to ensure Ukraine gets the support it needs to defend itself, for as long as is necessary.