Ireland’s Foreign Minister Simon Coveney is visiting Kyiv on Thursday.

Mr Coveney would visit areas in the Ukrainian capital directly affected by the Russian invasion and meet Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba and Defence Minister, Oleksii Reznikov.

Since the war began, Mr Coveney is the first foreign minister on the UN Security Council to visit Kyiv.

“His discussions with the Ukrainian government will focus on how Ireland can continue to provide political, security and humanitarian support to Ukraine and assist Ukraine in its application for EU candidate status,” a statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs said. “He takes forward further EU sanctions on Russia and holds Russia to account for its brutal and unjustified invasion.” 

Ireland has provided 20 million euros in humanitarian aid to the country and Ukrainian refugees in neighbouring countries.

It has also provided €33 million in non-lethal assistance for the Ukrainian military through the European Peace Facility.

The DFA statement added that Ireland “has been at the forefront” of putting a robust EU sanctions regime and supporting international mechanisms to hold Russia to account for grave violations of international humanitarian law.

“This also includes referring the situation in Ukraine to the International Criminal Court,” noted the DFA. 

(dpa/NAN)