Update: A Ukrainian Government Airbus 319-100(ACJ) carrying President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived at Shannon Airport shortly after midday on a fuel stop while travelling back from the NATO 75th anniversary events in New York.
Speaking to reporters Mr Zelenskyy said: “First of all, thank you so much for your support, thanks to Ireland for hosting a lot of Ukrainian refugees, you were with us from the very beginning of the Russian invasion.”
The Taoiseach, who was on hand to meet the president as he stepped of his aircraft, offered further Irish assistance for thousands of Ukrainian children forcibly relocated to Russia and Belarus and entered into Russian re-education programmes since the war began.
Later, Mr Zelenskyy posted on Twitter: “On my way to Ukraine, I met with Ireland’s Taoiseach Simon Harris. We discussed support for Ukraine and continued cooperation in demining and cybersecurity. We also talked about the next steps to implement the decisions based on the outcomes of the Peace Summit and discussed the efforts needed to increase global attention to the issue of children illegally deported by Russia.
I thank Ireland for supporting the Peace Summit in Switzerland and the Taoiseach for his strong personal attention and commitment to the efforts to bring the children home,” he added.
A small group of anti-war protestors holding Palestinian flags gathered at a roundabout close to the airport but appeared not to notice the Taoiseach’s car arrive or leave the airport.
An Taoiseach Simon Harris is set to meet Ukraine’s president during a stop-over in Shannon.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s jet is due to make a fuel stop at Shannon Airport this morning while returning from New York where he attended NATO’s 75th anniversary events.
President Zelenskyy will meet the Taoiseach in what will be the first bilateral meeting between the two leaders on Irish soil. Mr Harris and President Zelensky previously met at the Ukraine Peace Summit in Switzerland in June.
The pair will discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war which has been raging for almost two-and-a-half years.
The Taoiseach says the meeting will offer him the opportunity to express, in person, his condolences to Mr Zelenskyy on the loss of its citizens during the ongoing war, including in the bombing of Ukraine’s largest children’s hospital earlier this week.
Ukraine’s ongoing bid for EU membership and Ireland’s support for that campaign are also expected to be topics of conversation.
Security is expected to be tight for the meeting which is due to take place at 11.00am at Shannon Airport.
