![\"Ukrainian](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2.82630908.jpg\")
Taoiseach Micheal Martin (centre left) speaks to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena Zelenska as they arrive at Dublin Airport for his visit to Ireland. (Credit: Liam McBurney)<\/p>\nHe and Ukraine\u2019s first lady Olena Zelenska were greeted at Dublin Airport by Irish premier Micheal Martin and junior minister with responsibility for European Affairs Thomas Byrne.<\/p>\n
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha also forms part of the Ukrainian delegation.<\/p>\n
The Ukrainian ambassador in Dublin, Larysa Gerasko, and Irish ambassador to Ukraine Jonathan Conlon were on the tarmac for their arrival shortly before 11pm.<\/p>\n
Taoiseach Micheal Martin (centre left) speaks to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena Zelenska as they arrive at Dublin Airport for his visit to Ireland. (Credit: Liam McBurney)<\/p>\n
Mr Zelensky\u2019s brief visit to Dublin comes as the US administration try to broker a ceasefire underpinned by a peace plan.<\/p>\n
He arrived in the Irish capital hours after meeting with French president Emmanuel Macron in Paris, where both leaders struck an optimistic tone about the US draft framework previously criticised as being too weighted towards Russian demands.<\/p>\n
The visit also comes days after the resignation of Ukraine\u2019s chief negotiator and Mr Zelensky\u2019s chief of staff Andrii Yermak, whose residence was searched on Friday by anti-corruption investigators.<\/p>\n
Mr Zelensky will have a number of engagements during his visit on Tuesday, including a courtesy call to Ireland\u2019s newly-inaugurated president Catherine Connolly.<\/p>\n
He will also attend the launch of the Ireland-Ukraine Economic Forum with Irish deputy premier Simon Harris and deliver an address to the Irish parliament.<\/p>\n
![\"Micheal](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2.79207016.jpg\")
Micheal Martin met Volodymyr Zelensky at Shannon Airport in February (PA)<\/p>\n
Mr Zelensky was last in Ireland in February, when his plane stopped off to refuel ahead of a visit to Washington DC.<\/p>\n
Mr Martin then met the Ukrainian leader at Shannon Airport in Ireland\u2019s south-west, where he emphasised the Irish people\u2019s support for Ukraine.<\/p>\n
The following day, a televised exchange in the Oval Office between Mr Zelensky, US president Donald Trump and US vice president JD Vance made international headlines.<\/p>\n
In April 2022, Mr Zelensky made a historic address to the Irish parliament via video link, in which he said Ireland had not been neutral to the \u201cdisaster\u201d Russia had brought to Ukraine.<\/p>\n
Mr Martin said it was an honour to welcome Mr Zelensky to Ireland and said the visit came at a \u201ccritical time\u201d for Ukraine.<\/p>\n
\u201cAround 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He praised Ukraine\u2019s \u201cremarkable tenacity\u201d in defending their country and said he looked forward to \u201creiterating Ireland\u2019s unswerving commitment to standing with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cThe president\u2019s visit comes at a critical time for Ukraine and Europe, with efforts to bring just and lasting peace to Ukraine ongoing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI look forward to discussing with President Zelensky 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe inauguration of the Ireland-Ukraine Economic Forum also offers an opportunity to explore the potential for strengthened business-to-business, trade and investment links between Ireland and Ukraine.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe also want to see a Ukraine that is fully part of our European Union family, and I particularly look forward to discussing with the president how Ireland can assist in accelerating Ukraine\u2019s journey towards EU membership, including during our presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will also be telling the president about the remarkable story of the Ukrainian people who have sought refuge in Ireland since 2022.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn that period, we have welcomed over 120,000 Ukrainians seeking safe haven. Some have returned, some have moved on and many have remained, but all have made a great contribution to our society through their hard work and vibrant culture, becoming valued members of our communities.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"He and Ukraine\u2019s first lady Olena Zelenska were greeted at Dublin Airport by Irish premier Micheal Martin and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":606254,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7654],"tags":[2000,299,657],"class_list":{"0":"post-606253","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ukraine","8":"tag-eu","9":"tag-europe","10":"tag-ukraine"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/606253","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=606253"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/606253\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/606254"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=606253"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=606253"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=606253"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}