Ireland pledges 125 million euros for Ukraine as Martin says alumina probe found no definitive weapons link
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Ireland will provide Ukraine with a new 125 million euro ($142 million) aid package, Prime Minister Micheal Martin announced on July 23 during a visit to Kyiv, his first since Ireland took over the rotating presidency of the EU Council.
The package includes 100 million euros ($113.7 million) for non-lethal military equipment, including support for Ukraine's air defenses, and 25 million euros ($28.4 million) for repairing and protecting critical infrastructure, with a focus on the energy grid ahead of winter, the Irish government said in a statement.
Martin met President Volodymyr Zelensky and newly appointed Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi, the former head of state energy company Naftogaz, and visited civilian areas of Kyiv damaged in recent Russian attacks. The trip comes three weeks after Zelensky traveled to Dublin for the launch of Ireland's six-month presidency, which runs until the end of December.
Martin also addressed the Aughinish Alumina refinery in County Limerick, which is owned by Russian aluminum giant Rusal and continues to ship alumina to Russian smelters. Speaking alongside Zelensky, he said a Department of Enterprise review had found no definitive evidence tying the plant's output to a Russian weapons manufacturer, but had equally failed to establish the material was not reaching arms producers,The Irish Times reported. "We do not want material from Aughinish going to Russia," Martin said, adding that the review was almost complete.
Zelensky called on the Irish government to examine whether the plant could be sanctioned under Irish law, The Irish Examiner reported.
Alumina, the powder from which aluminum is smelted, is not covered by EU sanctions. Irish government figures showed 83% of Ireland's alumina exports went to Russia in the first quarter of 2026 — 200,619 tons, the largest volume since 2022. Ireland's enterprise minister later said the underlying data were inaccurate and placed the share at about 45%.
Announcing the package, Foreign Minister Helen McEntee said civilian casualties were at their highest since the full-scale invasion began, and that the funding would help Ukraine defend against the attacks.
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported on July 14 that at least 293 civilians were killed and 1,990 injured in June, the deadliest month for civilians since April 2022.
Ireland, a militarily neutral state, provides only non-lethal military assistance. Ireland has committed over 550 million euros ($625 million) to Ukraine since February 2022, according to figures provided by the Irish government, and says the new tranche brings the total to over 670 million euros ($762 million) once disbursed.
