President under pressure to clarify stance on wife’s letter about Ukraine war

President Michael D Higgins has been accused by Government politicians of “answering nothing” in a statement released in the wake of a letter written by his wife, Sabina Higgins, about the war in Ukraine.

In a letter to The Irish Times last week, Mrs Higgins said the war in Ukraine would continue until both Ukraine and Russia agreed a ceasefire and entered negotiations.

The letter was published on the Áras an Uachtaráin website but later removed.

A spokesman for Mr Higgins said on Monday that he was “unequivocal in his condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine” and pointed to a range of previous public statements made by the President.

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Fine Gael TD and former government chief whip Paul Kehoe said last night the President must “address the substantive matter at hand, or distance himself from the comments that were made. This is very concerning. Diplomats are watching very closely what is being said. I am disappointed the substantive matter was not addressed, including the contents of the correspondence.”

[ Analysis: Controversy over Sabina Higgins’s letter set to roll into another week ]

[ Calls for President to defend view of Sabina Higgins on Ukraine war ‘ridiculous’, says ex-minister ]

Earlier on Monday, Mr Kehoe called for Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney to “restate Ireland’s position on where we stand on this issue”.

Fianna Fáil Senator Malcolm Byrne said that while the President’s statement was welcome “there still remains a question as to how Mrs Higgins’ letter ended up on the presidential website.

“Sabina Higgins is entitled to her opinions and I have huge respect for her but her letter is viewed as a propaganda tool by the Kremlin in its drawing of an equivalence between the actions of Russia and Ukraine.”

Fine Gael Senator John McGahon said the statement “answers nothing”.

“There are still very basic questions as to why a controversial letter was published on the President’s website. His statement does not provide answers to what are very legitimate and reasonable questions.”

[ Sabina Higgins’ letter to The Irish Times ]

[ President reiterates condemnation of war against Ukraine - but does not address letter controversy ]

‘Legitimate questions’

He said he wanted to know whether the President assisted in the drafting of the letter and why it was published on his website. “President Higgins is well-known for eloquently speaking his mind on a variety of issues. Why all of a sudden is he changing tack and refusing to acknowledge and address legitimate questions?”

In the statement, a spokesman for the President said: “The record shows President Higgins has been unequivocal in his condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine from his original statement on March 1st. He has repeatedly condemned what he has described as the illegal, immoral and unjustifiable Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“He has called for an immediate Russian withdrawal and end to the violence. He has voiced his steadfast support for the victims of this terrible conflict and met with Ukrainian refugees in Ireland and the Ukrainian ambassador many times.

“President Higgins has stressed the importance of using every available ‘chink of diplomacy’.

“President Higgins has also publicly commended and continues to commend people and communities across Ireland for their generosity and solidarity with the people of Ukraine. It is heartening to witness so many people in Ireland and across the globe unite in their support for the Ukrainian people, offering shelter, food, aid and other forms of assistance to those fleeing the war.”

In her letter, Mrs Higgins criticised an Irish Times editorial published on July 20th, saying she was “disappointed” and “dismayed” that it did not “encourage any ceasefire negotiations that might lead to a positive settlement”.