The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, thanked Ireland this Tuesday for its "firm support" to achieve a "just" end to the war caused by Russia's invasion, for which, he said, the country must be held accountable before an international tribunal.
"No one can lie to the whole world all the time, not even Putin," the Ukrainian leader stated in an address to the members of both chambers of the Dublin Parliament, at the end of his first state visit to the Republic of Ireland, a traditionally neutral country.
Zelenskyy urged lawmakers not to "look the other way" or "turn the page" and advocated for the Irish government to take an "active role" in establishing an international court where the "aggressor will be held accountable for what it has done."
He also thanked the country for its generosity in welcoming his displaced compatriots. According to official figures, Ireland has welcomed more than 120,000 Ukrainian refugees since February 2022, the majority of whom continue to live on the island.
Earlier, the president held a bilateral meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, who announced that he will allocate an additional 125 million euros to a "non-lethal" aid fund for Ukraine.
Both leaders signed the so-called "Ukraine-Ireland Partnership Roadmap 2030," a plan that extends the cooperation initiated in 2024 and raises the aid provided this year by the Dublin government to 200 million euros.
In search of a "decent and dignified" peace
At a subsequent press conference, Zelenskyy analyzed the progress of negotiations on the peace plan proposed by the United States, whose administration is taking "serious measures" to end the war and achieve a "decent and dignified" peace.
The Ukrainian leader was informed this Tuesday by his negotiating team of the results of contacts with US representatives.
"I deeply hope that day comes soon," Martin noted, adding that one of the most important guarantees for Ukraine's future freedom is its accession to the EU.
"Too many people are dying in this horrible war," the head of the Irish coalition government, composed of centrists and Christian democrats, accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of completely disregarding "the value of human life" and of seeking negotiating advantages by intensifying attacks against the Ukrainian population.
"Peace will come to Ukraine. We have spoken in person about matters that cannot be dealt with over the phone," the president wrote on social networks, without revealing any new information about what was agreed with White House emissaries in Florida.
As part of these diplomatic efforts, the White House envoy, Steve Witkoff, is meeting today with Russian President Vladimir Putin to present him with the conclusions of the contacts held by Witkoff himself and the rest of the American negotiators with the Ukrainians in Florida.
In this regard, Zelenskyy advanced in Dublin that he expects "signals" from that meeting in Russia, and if they are positive, he added, his representatives will meet again with the US delegation.
"They will have to inform us immediately after the meeting (...) Depending on those signals, and on what they are like, the next steps will be decided," the president outlined.
"If there is a fair game with our partners, if it is perceived as such, perhaps then we will meet very soon. We will see at what level," added Zelenskyy, who declared himself willing, in that case, to meet face-to-face with US President Donald Trump.
"I am prepared. (I have received) a detailed report from the Ukrainian delegation after all its meetings in the United States. It all depends on today's negotiations," he emphasized.
Martin, for his part, reaffirmed his full commitment to Zelenskyy's position: "We need a peace agreement, we need a truce."
