Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris has accepted an official invitation from Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy and plans to visit Ukraine in the coming weeks.
The Irish prime minister announced his intention to visit Ukraine on Saturday, July 13, when he met with the Ukrainian president at Shannon Airport in Ireland. Harris noted that they had a very good meeting.
"I am very pleased to welcome him to Ireland. It gave me the opportunity to express the condolences of the people of Ireland to the people of Ukraine, to the President of Ukraine, over the loss of life during this brutal and illegal Russian war," the Irish prime minister said.
According to Harris, he is “absolutely horrified” that Russia is actively abducting Ukrainian children and taking them to the occupied territory. And he does not believe that the world knows enough about this.
When asked if he and Zelenskyy had talked about the fact that the Irish government had recently cut child support payments to resident Ukrainian refugees, Harris said that this issue had not been raised. He emphasized that the changes were made to be able to support those who need Ireland's support for as long as they need it.
He also noted that everyone wants to achieve a situation where the war in Ukraine is over, and the Ukrainian people can return home. He added that Ukrainians will be welcomed and accepted in Ireland for as long as necessary.
"We want Ukraine to become a member of the EU, and if that happens, people from Ukraine will have the same freedom of movement as any other EU citizen," the Irish prime minister said.-
Author - Serhii Kolomiets, 14/07/2024