Some €36m in additional aid to Ukraine will be announced by the Taoiseach at a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv today.
Simon Harris and Mr Zelenskyy will discuss Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine as well EU support for Ukraine and its path towards EU membership.
They will also sign an Agreement on Support and Cooperation between the two countries.
“We will stand with the brave people of Ukraine for as long as it takes,” Mr Harris said.
The €36m package will provide essential humanitarian assistance, support rehabilitation and eventual reconstruction, and contribute to Ukraine’s longer term goals, including peace, stability and political aspirations, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.
Organisations to benefit include the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UN OCHA) and UNHCR for the provision of shelter and protection to millions of displaced people. Funding is also to go to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) to contribute to work on health infrastructure and supporting vulnerable women. Ireland will also support the Red Cross.
A partnership with Lithuania will provide for the construction of bomb shelters in schools in Ukraine.
Ireland will also contribute to the World Bank crisis facility special programme for Ukraine and Moldova and to the IMF Ukraine Capacity Development Fund, supporting the Ukraine policy and reform agenda including EU accession.
Today the Taoiseach will visit areas bombed and maimed by Russia’s invasion and meet with a number of international bodies and charities working to help displaced, injured, bereaved and traumatised citizens.
He will have a number of meetings on the issue of the return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia and taken to Belarus and Russia. The Taoiseach said:
At least 50 people were killed and 270others injured after two Russian ballistic missiles struck an educational facility and hospital in a central region of Ukraine, President Zelenskyy said on Tuesday.
The strike occurred in the city of Poltava, the capital of the region of the same name, officials said. Poltava is 110km from the border with Russia and about 350km south east of Kyiv.
The Taoiseach said the Poltava attack is “a grim and horrific reminder of the threat Ukraine is facing every day”.
“We express our outrage and sympathy to the families of those who have died.
“With President Zelenskyy, I will sign an Agreement on Support and Cooperation between Ireland and Ukraine. This makes it clear that Ukraine’s values are our values and we will stand with the brave people of Ukraine for as long as it takes”.