Prime Minister of Ireland Micheál Martin, whose country holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union this half-year, has arrived on a visit to Kyiv; as expected, he will hold a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Irish Examiner reports.
"During his visit to the Ukrainian capital, he will visit the Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, and meet its speaker to discuss Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations and the agenda for domestic reforms," the publication reports.
Plans also include visiting civilian areas of Kyiv affected by recent Russian attacks and meeting with international organizations and charities assisting those affected by the attacks with funding from Ireland.
Martin stated that he is visiting Ukraine "to underline the EU’s and Ireland’s continuing solidarity with the Ukrainian Government and the people of Ukraine."
"Having endured more than four years of brutal aggression against its people and territory, Ukraine continues to demonstrate tremendous resilience and courage in the face of relentless Russian attacks, which have intensified on Kyiv and other parts of the country in recent weeks," Martin said.
"Support for Ukraine is a central priority of the Irish Presidency of the EU. This visit is an opportunity to hear directly from President Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Koretsky about the situation on the ground and the needs of the Ukrainian Government as it faces into a fifth year of defending its country against Russian aggression," Martin said.
On July 1, Ireland began its presidency of the Council of the European Union, which will last until the end of December 2026. The country assumed this role from Cyprus.
