Ukrainian president to hold talks with Simon Harris

By Cillian Sherlock (PA)

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky will meet Irish premier Simon Harris at Shannon Airport on Saturday.

It will be the first bilateral meeting with Mr Zelensky on Irish soil and will focus on Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

While discussing the future of the conflict, Mr Harris is expected to express his condolences for the citizens whom Ukraine has lost in the war including the bombing of Ukraine’s largest children’s hospital earlier this week.

He will also express Ireland’s full support for Ukraine’s bid towards EU membership.

Mr Harris, who became Taoiseach in April, will offer further Irish assistance for thousands of Ukrainian children forcibly relocated to Russia and Belarus and entered into Russian re-education programmes since the war began.

He will confirm Ireland’s membership of an international coalition for the return of the estimated 20,000 children.

The two leaders last met on the fringes of the Ukraine Peace Summit in Switzerland in June.

Mr Zelensky is stopping at Shannon Airport, Co Clare, on his way back from a summit marking the 75th anniversary of Nato in Washington.

Ireland has provided 250 million euro in non-lethal military assistance to Ukraine under the European Peace Facility and the country has welcomed over 108,000 Ukrainians under the EU Temporary Protection Directive.

Irish Defence Forces members have trained 455 Ukrainian personnel in demining, battlefield casualty care and the use of non-lethal mine clearance equipment.