Irish foreign minister to visit Kyiv

Irish foreign and defense minister Simon Coveney is to travel to Kyiv on Thursday, said  spokesperson, He will have a  meeting with  two of  his Ukrainian counterparts.

Coveney’s visit is the first by a foreign minister from a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council to Kyiv since Russia’s attack started.

His talks with Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov will focus on “how Ireland can continue to provide political, security and humanitarian support to Ukraine,” a statement said.

The ministers will also discuss how Ireland can “assist Ukraine in its application for EU candidate status, take forward further EU sanctions on Russia and hold Russia to account for its brutal and unjustified invasion.”

According to the release, Coveney would also “visit communities directly touched by the Russian assault.”

Ireland has already donated 20 million euros ($22 million) in aid to Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees, as well as 33 million euros in non-lethal assistance to the Ukrainian military.