The Dáil chair of the Committee on European Affairs, has called for Ireland and Europe to “do more to fill in the gap” left by the Trump administration’s disengagement from the conflict in Ukraine.
Speaking in Kyiv, Barry Ward, a Fine Gael TD for Dún Laoghaire has said “there is always more we can do, and I do think Irish people feel they aren’t doing enough”. Mr Ward was speaking on the sidelines of Independence Day celebrations and a national prayer breakfast organised by president Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the country’s capital.
“I don’t think, being frank, that Donald Trump has the capacity to understand the issues,” Mr Ward said. “He has already made a number of statements that have been very unhelpful.”
The US president has repeatedly adopted Kremlin talking points and has not followed through on threats to punish Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians.
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“Perhaps worse than any of that,” Mr Ward continued, “is that president [Vladimir] Putin [of Russia] is completely duplicitous about this. I don’t think he has any interest in peace. I think he is stringing along a process that suits his own purposes, and he thinks he will be able to distract the Ukrainians, gain more territory and then solidify that position. That cannot be allowed to happen.”
Asked if Ireland can play a role in preventing Mr Putin from realising his objectives, Mr Ward said, “we can certainly continue to support Ukraine.”
“We continue to advocate at a European level. Europe needs to get on board in a real way. The US has stepped back from supporting Ukraine. Europe needs to fill that gap.”
The former president of the European Parliament Pat Cox said he has been “doing focused, off-the-radar-screen deep engagement with Ukraine since 2012.” Mr Cox travelled to Kyiv to attend the prayer breakfast and meet with members of Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada.
“Relative to our GDP, my own belief is that we could and should do more [to help Ukraine]” without breaching Ireland’s military neutrality, Mr Cox said. “I hope Ireland will be one of the states willing to step into the void of funding left by the abandonment of the US when it closed down USAid [US Agency for International Development].”
Up to $300 million in development assistance slated for Ukraine “disappeared down the plughole” when the Trump administration defunded the US development agency, Mr Cox said. The Voice of America and Radio Free Europe, which broadcast in the Ukrainian language, have also been defunded.
“Russia is not going to stop disinformation. These are free gifts to enemies of democracy,” Mr Cox said. “This is a front line not just of hard war, but a front line of the survivorship of pluralist democracy with separation of powers – things the Ukrainian public want,” Mr Cox said.
![Pat Cox: 'Relative to our GDP, my own belief is that we could and should do more [to help Ukraine]'. Photograph: Brenda Fitzsimons](https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/27OBDWGRJFNIPCHFAM33BBVOKM.jpg?auth=5a6939292ba264e9b80724e356f92572f6f84a354d3516b671cc5c545539b9a8&width=800&height=524)
Like his compatriots, Senator Garrett Ahearn from Tipperary said he found Ukrainian gratitude to Ireland for receiving more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees and the provision of humanitarian and non-lethal military aid, almost excessive. Mr Ahearn is deputy chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade.
“Every politician has focused the first five or 10 minutes on thanking us for what we are doing,” Mr Ahearn said. “I wonder is that after [Zelenskiiy’s] meeting in the Oval Office with President Trump? I don’t feel they need to do that. In a lot of ways, we should be thanking them for protecting Europe.”
Deputy Ward and Senator Ahearn are in Ukraine with European parliamentarians from the United for Ukraine network. Senator Aubrey McCarthy attended as convener of the Ireland-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship group. Former foreign minister Charlie Flanagan made the journey in a private capacity.
