Ukraine needs long-term security guarantees, Taoiseach says
The call was convened by Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
I welcomed the opportunity to join other European leaders today to discuss developments on ending the war in Ukraine.
We had a very useful engagement with President Zelenskyy as he prepares to meet with President Trump tomorrow in Washington. pic.twitter.com/0tI5AXikOB
— Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) August 17, 2025
On Monday, Volodymyr Zelensky is meeting Donald Trump with several EU leaders, including Sir Keir, also travelling to Washington DC in a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian president.
Mr Martin, who will not be in Washington, said he had assured Mr Zelensky on Sunday that Ireland will 'continue to steadfastly support Ukraine'.
EU leaders have agreed that sanctions and wider economic measures 'will be reinforced' if Russia continues its military action.
The Taoiseach also said that he believes Ukraine needs 'long-term security guarantees'.
Donald Trump, right, shakes the hand of Russia's President Vladimir Putin during a joint press conference in Alaska following their talks over Ukraine (Jae C Hong/AP)
Speaking after Sunday's online conference, Mr Martin said: 'I welcomed the opportunity to join other European leaders today to discuss developments on ending the war in Ukraine.
'We had a very useful engagement with President Zelensky as he prepares to meet with President Trump tomorrow in Washington.
'I welcome the initiative by President Trump to seek the ending of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Ireland, together with our European partners, continues to contribute to these efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace for Ukraine.'
The meeting of European leaders follows the US president's summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.
I also reiterated Ireland's readiness to contribute to any peacekeeping force that is in line with the UN Charter Micheal Martin
Mr Martin said it is 'essential that Ukraine is a full participant' in any discussions regarding its future.
He said: 'I therefore welcome that President Zelensky will meet with President Trump in Washington tomorrow, together with other European leaders.
Mr Martin said he stressed that international law and principles of independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity need to be respected for security in the region.
'It will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory. International borders must not be changed by force.
'I fully agree that Ukraine needs strong, credible, long-term security guarantees. This will mean sustained support from Europe, the United States and other partners.
'Ireland stands ready to play our part. Earlier this year we committed to providing non-lethal military support to Ukraine and we will look to do more.
'At today's meeting, I also reiterated Ireland's readiness to contribute to any peacekeeping force that is in line with the UN Charter.'
French President Emmanuel Macron attending the video conference with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (Philippe Magoni/AP)
The Taoiseach said Ireland will also continue to support Ukraine's EU membership ambitions, adding that Russia 'cannot have a veto' on the matter.
'Our joint efforts for peace should be combined with firm and co-ordinated pressure on Russia to agree to a ceasefire and engage seriously with negotiations on a just and lasting peace.
'We agreed today that sanctions and wider economic measures will be reinforced if Russia does not stop the killing.
'The human dimension and accountability must also be at the centre of a just and lasting peace for Ukraine.
'Russia must urgently return Ukrainian children who they have abducted as well as prisoners of war and civilians being held unlawfully.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
7 minutes ago
- Times
The ball is in Zelensky's court but he is in an impossible position
The final stand for thousands of soldiers, rich in coal but ruined by war — no other territory in Ukraine has seen a similar toll as the eastern Donbas region. Its fate may now decide the future of the war during today's meeting in Washington. Ukraine has clung to this industrial heartland ever since fighting erupted there in 2014, when pro-Russian separatists first began to clash with Ukrainian troops and declared Donetsk and Luhansk self-styled independent 'people's republics'. Central to President Putin's war aims, after the full-scale invasion of 2022 the war in Donbas escalated into a huge battle of attrition, costing hundreds of thousands of casualties on either side, reducing settlements to rubble and swathes of land into territory reminiscent of the mud-churned battlefields of the First World War. Battles for Donbas cities such as Bakhmut became graveyards of Ukraine's regular and volunteer units as troops died attempting to stem human wave Russian assaults. Yet now, despite holding on to 22 per cent of Donbas — about 6,600 sq km of land — Ukraine may be expected to surrender its most fortified defence lines after Putin demanded that it hand over this remaining territory, including strategic heights and fortified cities, as a condition to ending the war. It is not a condition that President Zelensky is expected to be willing or able to accept. Politically and militarily, the Ukrainian president would be unable to cede the Donbas territory to Russia, even if he wished to, without leaving Ukraine in a more precarious position than the one in which it now exists. Even if Russia were allowed a long-term de facto control of territory it already occupies in Ukraine, Ukraine's constitution poses a complex challenge to any potential surrender of unconquered territory — or the formal de jure recognition of Russian control over land so far seized by Putin's troops. The constitution expressly prohibits the president from unilaterally authorising any territorial changes, stipulating that Ukraine's territory is integral and inviolable; that the protection of Ukraine's sovereignty is the most important function of the state; and that any changes in territory can only be decided by a national referendum called by the country's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada. Zelensky — who set the tone of his war leadership when he said 'the fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride' in 2022 while refusing a US offer of evacuation — has stated repeatedly that he would not agree to territorial concessions. 'The answer to the Ukrainian territorial question is already in the constitution of Ukraine,' he said nine days ago in a video address, following the first remarks by President Trump that land swaps may form the basis of a peace deal. 'No one will deviate from this, and no one will be able to. Ukrainians will not gift their land to the occupier.' Zelensky's meeting in Washington, where he will be accompanied by the main European leaders, Mark Rutte, the Nato secretary-general, and Sir Keir Starmer, comes after Trump told allies that Putin wanted Ukraine's Donbas as a condition to ending the war. • Matthew Syed: We have failed Ukraine in every way, even with the words we use In what could mark a fulcrum point in the course of the conflict, Monday's meeting will also be the first time Zelensky and Trump have met since their disastrous Oval Office meeting in February. It comes after the summit between Trump and Putin in Alaska on Friday, where Trump suddenly abandoned his demand for a ceasefire in favour of a peace settlement that appears to hinge Putin's demand for the unconquered Ukrainian territory of Donbas. So far it remains unclear whether the proposals by Putin are part of an opening gambit marking a starting point for negotiations, or a final non-negotiable offer. Either way, the suggestion of giving up unconquered Ukrainian-majority territory, where hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian civilians still live, to Russia, appears an impossible demand. 'Giving Donbas to Russia is legally, politically and strategically out of the question; and in addition it would cause serious division in our society,' noted Oleksandr Merezhko, chairman of Ukraine's foreign affairs committee and member of Zelensky's Servant of the People Party. 'Our constitution forbids any division of Ukrainian sovereign territory.' Putin's offer to freeze the front lines elsewhere in return for all of Donbas apparently ruled out the possibility of a ceasefire until a comprehensive deal is reached. A ceasefire had been one of Zelensky's key demands, at a time when Ukraine is being struck daily by Russian drones and ballistic missiles, and Ukrainian troops are in slow retreat along key areas of the battlefield. According to sources with knowledge of the Russian offer who spoke to Reuters, under the proposed Russian deal, Kyiv would fully withdraw from the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions — which both comprise Donbas — in return for a Russian commitment to halt attacks in the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. In addition, Russia would give up tiny pockets of occupied Ukraine near Kharkiv and Sumy totalling around 440 square km, in return for Ukraine handing up the 6,600 square kilometres it still holds in Donbas. The same sources also reported that Putin was also seeking formal recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea, which Moscow seized from Ukraine in 2014. Militarily, even though Ukraine's battlefield fortunes are in slow decline, surrendering Kyiv's remaining territory in Donbas to Putin would involve ceding key heights and the fortified cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, allowing Russia an easy axis of advance into other areas of Ukraine if hostilities recommenced. 'The ground our forces still hold in Donbas is a bastion, well fortified, and a gateway to other areas of Ukraine, which could be used as an easy springboard by the Russians in any further attack,' added Merezhko. 'This land is not merely symbolic. It is strategically vital.' Economically, though Ukraine has already lost a number of key mines in Donbas, further loss of territory would also prove crippling. Until it ceased production seven months ago due to fighting directly above it, the coke mine outside the Donbas city of Pokrovsk was the country's only source of coking coal, essential for the steel industry. • Mark Urban: On the front line, Russia's warfare is more cunning than ever At the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine's steel production plummeted by 70 per cent to 6.3 million tons. According to industry analysts, if the Pokrovsk mine is completely lost the country's steel production would drop to 2-3 million tons: a fraction of its glory days. With so much to lose, and amid such a febrile political environment, as their president goes to face Trump in Washington, few Ukrainians have found reassurance in what followed the Alaska summit, with briefings alluding to security guarantees for Ukraine in the style of Nato's all-for-one 'Article 5' outside the Nato alliance. 'Do we really expect nuclear armed western nations to respond aggressively against Russia in the case of further attacks upon Ukraine, if we are not actually a member of Nato?' concluded Merezhko. 'We don't think so. 'We just hope that the European leaders can keep Trump focussed on the key issues when he sees Zelensky in Washington,' he concluded. 'Without European pressure Trump seems to wander off towards Russia, like a line in that song by Frank Sinatra, 'my fickle friend the summer wind'.'
South Wales Argus
26 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
Starmer hails Zelensky's desire for ‘just peace' amid fears of Russian land grab
The Prime Minister and French President Emmanuel Macron chaired a meeting of the coalition of the willing on Sunday afternoon, where allied leaders prepared for a meeting with US President Donald Trump alongside Mr Zelensky in Washington on Monday. European leaders appear poised to join Mr Zelensky in a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian president, after his last encounter with his American counterpart in the Oval Office resulted in a diplomatic crisis. Giving a readout of the video call between coalition allies, a Downing Street spokesman said: 'The leaders reaffirmed their continued support to Ukraine, and praised President Zelensky's desire for a just and lasting peace as he prepares for further consultations with President Trump in Washington DC. 'The leaders also commended President Trump's commitment to providing security guarantees to Ukraine, in which the coalition of the willing will play a vital role through the Multinational Force Ukraine, among other measures. 'They re-emphasised the readiness to deploy a reassurance force once hostilities have ceased, and to help secure Ukraine's skies and seas and regenerate Ukraine's armed forces.' The call followed fears that Mr Trump may have been swayed by Vladimir Putin's demands for ending the war when the pair met in Alaska on Friday. News reports suggested Mr Putin wants full control of Donetsk and Luhansk, two occupied Ukrainian regions, in exchange for withdrawing troops from other areas. Mr Trump is inclined to press the Ukrainian president to accept the demands at their meeting on Monday, the reports added. President Donald Trump listens as Russia's President Vladimir Putin speaks during a news conference (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP) The US leader also appeared to change his mind about the need for a ceasefire following his meeting with Mr Putin, who has refused to lay down arms ahead of a sustained peace deal. US secretary of state Marco Rubio has since insisted Russia will face 'additional consequences' if no peace deal is reached. Fresh sanctions are not off the table, Mr Rubio told American broadcasters, though he claimed they would not lead Russia to accept a ceasefire. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said it did not matter that Mr Trump was no longer aiming for a ceasefire before brokering a wider peace, as either would 'stop the killing'. Appearing alongside her at a press conference before the coalition of the willing call, Mr Zelensky agreed, but insisted negotiations needed to result in the 'correct steps to have lasting peace, to stop Putin' rather than simply a pause in the war. Earlier, Mr Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff said Mr Putin had agreed to Nato-like protection for Ukraine for the first time at the Alaska summit, as a concession to western allies. 'We were able to win the following concession: That the United States could offer Article 5-like protection, which is one of the real reasons why Ukraine wants to be in Nato,' he told CNN. European leaders on Saturday suggested Mr Trump had indicated he is now willing to provide American air support for the alliance, a 'security guarantee' said to be vital to its operation. Those travelling to Washington on Monday alongside Sir Keir include Mr Macron, Germany's Friedrich Merz, Finland's Alexander Stubb, EU Commission president Ms von der Leyen and Nato chief Mark Rutte. Ahead of the Oval Office encounter, the allies are likely to be mindful of the previous time Mr Zelensky appeared in the room – February's bust-up, which resulted in American aid to Ukraine being temporarily halted.
The Herald Scotland
37 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Donald Trump is ‘not a force for good' London Mayor says
The Labour politician said remarks such as those were 'water off a duck's back'. However, he told an event at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe it sometimes felt like he was 'nine years old again' and 'in the school playground'. But Sir Sadiq, speaking at the Political Party show with comedian Matt Forde, hit back at the US President, saying: 'Somebody who has views like he does about black people, about women, about gays, about Muslims, about Mexicans, thinks I'm nasty. 'Really. He is the leader of the free world, arguably the most powerful man in the world, and really.' He spoke out as he said that records showed since the middle of January this year – when Mr Trump began his second term in the White House – and July 'there have never been more Americans applying to British citizenship and living in London'. The Mayor said: 'So I think Americans have got good taste by and large.' He added that he hoped the President would come to London during his state visit to the UK next month, with Sir Sadiq stressing the 'diversity' of the capital was a 'strength, not a weakness'. Despite his comments about the US President, Sir Sadiq Khan said he would be 'happy' to meet Donald Trump (Jordan Pettitt/PA) Speaking about this diversity, he insisted: 'I think it makes us stronger not weaker, richer not poorer. 'And when President Trump says some of the things he does, it brings from the periphery to the mainstream, views that are potentially dangerous. 'He inadvertently – I'm not going to suggest he does it deliberately – he inadvertently could be radicalising people with views that could lead to them doing things that are dangerous.' He spoke out about fears that minorities 'could be treated less favourably because of the views of the President of the USA' as he accused Mr Trump of 'using London and our diversity as a political football, as a proxy for a culture war'. The London Mayor continued: 'On a personal level, it is water off a duck's back, but we can't run away from the fact that there are some really serious challenges we face as a western society and President Trump, in my view, I speak generally, isn't a force for good.' However he insisted that he would be 'more than happy to meet President Trump' saying he would seek to show him that it is 'possible to be proud to be a westerner and a proud to be Muslim, that it is possible to be British, and proud to be British, and be of Pakistani origin and be a law abiding citizen and we aren't three headed monsters'. The Labour politician said: 'I suspect President Trump may have formed a view of Muslims because of the actions of a small minority of really bad people who are terrorists and use Islam in a perverted way. 'What I would want President Trump to know is that is a very small fraction of Muslims across the globe. 'So if there was an opportunity to meet President Trump, I would be more than happy to do so.'
