Volodymyr Zelenskiy touched down in Dublin late on Monday night ahead of a full day of engagements marking the first state visit by a Ukrainian president to Ireland.
He and Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska were greeted on the tarmac at Dublin Airport by Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Minister of State for European Affairs Thomas Byrne.
Mr Zelenskiy’s brief visit to Dublin comes as the US administration try to broker a ceasefire underpinned by a peace plan.
He arrived in the capital shortly before 11pm, hours after meeting with French president Emmanuel Macron in Paris, where both leaders struck an optimistic tone about the US draft framework.
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Mr Zelenskiy will pay a courtesy call to President Catherine Connolly at Áras an Uachtaráin on Tuesday morning before travelling to Government Buildings for meetings with Mr Martin and a trade forum with Tánaiste Simon Harris and Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee.
There will be a press conference at Government Buildings before Mr Zelenskiy is expected to deliver an address to a joint sitting of the Dáil and Seanad.
Mr Zelenskiy is likely to meet representatives of the Ukrainian community in Ireland during the visit. More than 120,000 Ukrainians have been granted permission to stay in Ireland since the Russian invasion of their country in 2022. It is estimated that about 80,000 remain in the country.
He will also attend the launch of the Ireland-Ukraine Economic Forum with Mr Harris.
The visit comes days after the resignation of Ukraine’s chief negotiator and Mr Zelenskiy’s chief of staff Andrii Yermak, whose residence was searched on Friday by anti-corruption investigators.
Mr Zelenskiy was last in Ireland in February, when his plane stopped off to refuel before a visit to Washington DC.
Mr Martin then met the Ukrainian leader at Shannon Airport where he emphasised the Irish people’s support for Ukraine.
In April 2022, Mr Zelenskiy made a historic address to the Irish parliament via video link, in which he said Ireland had not been neutral to the “disaster” Russia had brought to Ukraine.
Mr Martin said it was an honour to welcome Mr Zelenskiy to Ireland and said the visit came at a “critical time” for Ukraine.
“Around the world, he is rightly recognised as someone who embodies the courage and resilience of the Ukrainian people, who have inspired the world in their brave defence of their country and its sovereignty since it was brutally and illegally invaded by Russia,” he said.
He said: “The president’s visit comes at a critical time for Ukraine and Europe, with efforts to bring just and lasting peace to Ukraine ongoing.
“I look forward to discussing with President Zelenskiy the ways in which Ireland can support these efforts and how we can ensure that Ukraine comes to the negotiating table in as strong a position as possible.
Mr Harris said the Government was looking forward to engaging with Mr Zelenskiy. Various security measures re in place, which is “right and proper”, he said.
It is “an important visit” that shows Ireland’s solidarity with Ukraine, Mr Harris said.
“As we prepare to take up the presidency of the Council of the European Union next year, it’s a chance to get the latest from president Zelenskiy in terms of how he sees things progressing,” he said.
“We all want to see an end to war, but how peace comes about matters. It has to be a just peace.,” the Tánaiste said.
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“The aggressor must pay for the massive destruction and damage that has been done to Ukraine,” he added.
Security will be tight for the visit, and there is expected to be traffic disruption in central Dublin with the closure of streets around Leinster House.
The Irish Aviation Authority has declared a “no drone zone” over Dublin at the request of the Department of Justice, citing “national security reasons”.
Meanwhile, EU defence ministers met in Brussels on Monday amid continuing divisions about an EU funding deal for Ukraine to enable it to continue fighting next year. There are proposals to use the proceeds of seized Russian assets as a loan to Ukraine, but some member states, notably Belgium, remain opposed to the plan. Arriving at the meeting in Brussels on Monday morning, the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said this week could be “pivotal” for diplomacy on Ukraine.
But Mr Zelenskiy is also under pressure at home, after the resignation of a key aide, Andriy Yermak, last week after his home was searched as part of a corruption investigation. – Additional reporting PA
