Ukraine, Ireland sign agreement on cooperation, support

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris signed a bilateral cooperation agreement during the latter's visit to Kyiv on Sept. 4.

As of today, Kyiv has signed 26 bilateral agreements with foreign partners based on the declaration made by the G7 during a summit in Vilnius in July 2023.

The Agreement on Support for Ukraine and Cooperation between the two countries outlines Dublin's humanitarian aid, support for Ukraine's recovery, EU integration efforts, and holding Russia accountable for war damages, among other items.

As part of the 10-year agreement, Ireland has pledged an additional 128 million euros ($140 million) in non-lethal military support and at least 40 million euros ($44 million) in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine this year.

Ireland said it would supply mine clearance systems and explosive ordnance disposal equipment, support the training of Ukrainian soldiers through an EU mission, and explore other pathways for aid within the Ramstein group, such as the IT coalition.

"I want to express my special gratitude to Ireland for the joint efforts in demining our land – this is truly saving countless lives," Zelensky wrote on X after the agreement was signed.

Harris arrived in Kyiv earlier on Sept. 4, visiting settlements in Kyiv Oblast damaged by Russian forces in 2022, namely Hostomel.

During the visit, Ireland announced a new package of support worth 36 million euros ($40 million) for "Ukraine and its neighbors" to provide "essential humanitarian assistance, support rehabilitation and eventual reconstruction, and contribute to Ukraine's longer-term goals, including peace, stability, and political aspirations."

Since the outbreak of the full-scale war, Dublin's funding to Ukraine has amounted to over 380 million euros ($420 million), the Irish government said.

This included humanitarian, economic, and non-lethal defense support but no lethal aid due to Ireland's long-standing military neutrality policy. The country is one of the few EU members that is not a member of NATO.

Ukraine is expecting to sign security agreements with 9 more countries, Zelensky says

The Ukrainian government is seeking to sign security agreements with 32 countries in total. Ukraine has already signed security agreements with 23 countries, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. The security agreements cover humanitarian, military, reconstruction, and financial assistance for Ukraine.

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova