Tánaiste Simon Harris has said that the Irish Government is “not at the point yet” of deciding whether Irish peacekeeping troops will have a role to play in stabilising Ukraine.
Notably, Harris also serves as Minister for Defence and Foreign Affairs.
Speaking to reporters outside Leinster House this morning as he was going into a Cabinet meeting, he said that Irish peacekeeping rules under the Triple Lock system were clear, with a system that involves the Government, the Oireachtas, and the United Nations.
“Our Defence Forces have a very proud tradition of playing majorly important peacekeeping roles in very troubled and challenging parts of the globe…But we’re not at that moment yet,” he said.
Harris also outlined how Cabinet are discussing the need to ensure €50 million in non-lethal military aid to Ukraine.
Notably, Ireland has committed to provide Ukraine with €250 million in non-lethal military support to Ukraine, but this is being delayed by a Hungarian veto of the EU Ukraine Assistance Fund.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously urged the Irish government to send non-lethal materials like body armour, oil, military rations, as well as engineering equipment and medical kits for military use.
To date, the Irish State has already given Ukraine over €130 million in aid since Russia’s invasion in 2022, and has taken in a grand total of 110,000 Ukrainian migrants.
Harris is also set to attend a virtual meeting of the European People’s Party (EPP) – Fine Gael’s grouping in the EU – to be briefed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyden on a summit in Paris this week, wherein she met with European leaders to discuss the bloc’s efforts to secure an acceptable end to the Ukraine war.
The Paris meeting in the Elysee Palace on Monday was called by French President Emmanuel Macron after US President Donald Trump arranged peace talks with Russia in Saudi Arabia which did not include European nations or Ukraine in the negotiations, causing ructions across the continent.
Speaking on the US’s decision, Harris was critical of President Trump’s decision to leave Europe out of the conversation.
“The Irish Government’s position remains consistent,” he said.
“There can be nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine, nor can there be anything about Europe or European security without Europe in the room as well.”
Next Monday is the 3-year anniversary of the outbreak of the Ukraine war. This morning the Cabinet discussed how the Irish Government will be issuing an emphatic statement of solidarity to mark this anniversary, after Taoiseach Micheál Martin emphasised Ireland’s “steadfast support for Ukraine” ahead of the Munich Security Conference last week.
All of this comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged the creation of an “armed forces of Europe” to counter Russia, hinting that the United States may no longer be a dependable ally for the continent anymore.
“I really believe that time has come,” he said on Saturday.
“The armed forces of Europe must be created…Three years of full-scale war have proven that we already have the foundation for a united European military force. And now, as we fight this war and lay the groundwork for peace and security, we must build the armed forces of Europe.”
Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said that the UK is “ready and willing” to deploy British troops on the ground in Ukraine to guarantee peace and security in the region – something which French President Emmanuel Macron has not ruled out in the past.