Taoiseach In Ukraine To Pay Tribute To Ukraine’s Endurance
The presence of the Taoiseach in Ukraine was for a purpose: paying tribute to the Ukrainian people for their endurance. He was on a visit to have a look at the catastrophic regions that had been damaged by Russia’s invasion.
Simon Harris was in Kyiv for a private meeting with Volodymyr Zelesnky, the president of Ukraine.
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When Taoiseach reached Kyiv after travelling on an overnight train, he was greeted to the country at Nemishaieve station.
His first visit after reaching the station was to a town that was bombed and destroyed by the Russians during the initial weeks of the war.
He also had a meeting with the head of regional administration in Kyiv, Ruslan Kravchenko. A tour of Taoiseach in Ukraine’s residential area was a mandatory part of his visit, which was planned by the head beforehand.
Simon Harris also met the crèche family who was devastated after the shelling. They rebuilt themselves and came out as strong survivors.
Mr Harris moved on to the second location in Kyiv where he met another old couple. They told that their house had been destroyed in the initial weeks of Moscow’s full invasion and the resulting shelling.
The family currently resides in a prefabricated home that is paid for by the Irish aid as well as UNHCR, the UN agency for refugees.
During the early hours this morning, an alert was generated for an air raid from Russia aimed at Kyiv Oblast. The enemy did not hesitate about the visit of Taoiseach in Ukraine for which Mr Harris praised Ukraine’s endurance and resilience.
The Ukrainian Air Force told some stats since the beginning of the war to the Taoiseach. They claimed that during the night, 42 places in Ukraine were the target of Russian drones and missiles. However, more than 20 drones and seven missiles were taken by them.
Proceedings after presence of Taoiseach in Ukraine
Both the leaders, Mr Harris and Mr Zelesnky, discussed Russia’s possible moves, Kyiv’s bloc joining application and support offered by the EU for Ukraine.
They agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding between Ireland and Ukraine which would serve as a new bilateral agreement between the two regions.
The memorandum was discussed in detail by the cabinet yesterday. It outlines Ireland’s expression of solidarity for Ukraine and a pledge that Ireland would stand by Ukraine’s side during Russia’s illegal invasion.
The first discussion regarding the agreement took place last July at Shannon Airport between Mr Harris and Mr Zelesnky. It was done to make an alignment for Ireland’s position as a neutral country that would assist Ukraine. Simon Harris assured that the support would be non-lethal.
In July 2023, the leaders of G7 promised to take Ukraine’s side in the war. In the light of the G7 Joint Declaration, each country’s leader, along with Ireland and other EU countries, means to stand by Ukraine’s side.
Based on the same declaration, 25 countries have signed bilateral security agreements with Ukraine as a security for Ukraine’s protection and support.
Another reason for the visit of the Taoiseach in Ukraine was yesterday’s missile attack from Russia on the central city of Poltava. The attack resulted in the killing of at least 51 people.
Before finalising his visit to Ukraine, he said, “Russia’s military strike and killing of scores of people in Poltava on Tuesday is a grim and horrific reminder of the threat Ukraine is facing every day. We express our outrage and sympathy to the families of those who have died.”
In light of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine’s state, Taoiseach announced a new €36m funding with the package of Irish aid to partner organisations for Ukraine’s redevelopment.
