H.E. Ms Larysa Gerasko:

I am honoured to be here today and to brief the distinguished members of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence on the latest developments in Ukraine, including ongoing war and our visible challenges for the future. Before I turn to my remarks, let me, on behalf of the people of Ukraine, extend words of appreciation for the support we are receiving from Ireland at this unprecedentedly challenging time for our country. We are very grateful for it.

Today is the 846th day of Russia’s full-scale invasion of my country, a major escalation of the Russian war against Ukraine, which began ten years ago. Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine continues to cause large-scale human suffering and destruction and to create global risks and a crisis for the world. On the ground, Russia's offensive actions have intensified significantly, and the operational and strategic environment tends to escalate. The Russian forces are throwing in all the combat-ready matériel they have.

In an attempt to seize the strategic initiative, break through the front line and advance deeper into the territory of our country, the enemy has focused its main efforts on several areas, creating a significant advantage in forces and means. The Russian army has resorted to terrorist methods and carries out missile attacks by deploying weapons against facilities of civilian infrastructure. In the direction of Kharkiv, which is in the east of our country, the operational situation remains difficult and dynamically changing. The Russian offensive in the north of the Kharkiv region did not achieve the results expected by the Kremlin. Due to the resumption of western military aid to Ukraine and permission being granted to attack the Russian rear in the Belgorod region with western weapons, Ukraine is nullifying the Russian offensive advantages in the border regions.

Dear members of the committee, Russia regularly sends signals of alleged willingness to negotiate with Ukraine or reach a ceasefire along the current front lines. These signals have nothing to do with a genuine desire to end the war or establish peace. Since 2014, more than 200 rounds of negotiations with the Russian side have taken place, including in the Normandy format. Ceasefire agreements were reached more than ten times. These talks, however, were perceived by the Kremlin as a weakness and the time during the negotiations was used by it to prepare for the next more brutal and large-scale attack that launched on 24 February 2022.

On Friday, 14 June, Putin made yet another series of manipulative statements aimed at misleading the international community, undermining diplomatic efforts to achieve a just peace and shattering the unity of the world majority around the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

Putin wants no peace talks. He wants Ukraine's capitulation and no responsibility for his brutal and unprovoked aggression. It is absurd for Putin, who, together with his accomplices, planned, prepared and executed the largest armed aggression in Europe since the Second World War, to present himself as a peacemaker and to put forward options for ending the war he started that undermine the foundations of the international legal order and the UN Charter. All of Putin's ultimatums have been voiced by Moscow many times previously. There is nothing new in the latest statement.

However, the timing of the announcement is indicative. By throwing such signals into the information space on the eve of the inaugural Global Peace Summit in Switzerland, Putin pursues only one goal, which is to prevent leaders and countries from participating in the summit. The fact Putin's statement appeared just one day before the summit is evidence Russia is afraid of true peace. Regardless of Russian countermeasures, the inaugural Global Peace Summit, dedicated to the steps set out in Ukraine's peace formula, took place as planned on 15 and 16 June in Switzerland. It was the largest ever international event in support of Ukraine and peace, with 101 countries and international organisations representing all parts of the world and all continents.

The peace summit was successful. Fundamental positions on Ukraine were included in the joint communiqué signed by 78 countries and four international organisations. The participants agreed that Ukrainian nuclear power plants, particularly the Zaporizhzhia plant, must operate safely and securely under the full sovereign control of Ukraine and in line with International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, principles and under its supervision. Nuclear blackmail is unacceptable. Food security must not be weaponised in any way. Ukrainian agricultural products should be securely and freely provided to interested third countries. All prisoners of war must be released by complete exchange. All deported and unlawfully displaced Ukrainian children and all other Ukrainian civilians who were unlawfully detained must be returned to Ukraine. The UN Charter, including the principles of respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, is the basis for achieving a comprehensive, just and sustainable peace in Ukraine.

We are grateful to Ireland for participating in the peace summit at the highest possible level and for contributing to the genuine peace process. We are just as grateful to Ireland for joining the G7 joint declaration of support for Ukraine of 12 July 2023. We strongly believe the next important step is for our countries to sign an agreement on security co-operation and long-term support for Ukraine. We have already signed 17 bilateral agreements within the framework of the joint declaration.

Russia continues its unjustified and illegal nuclear blackmail. Another proof of that is the announcement by Russia on 6 May of holding drills to practise the preparation and usage of non-strategic nuclear weapons, commonly referred to as tactical nuclear weapons, to counter what Russia referred to as the "provocative statements and threats of certain Western officials". On 10 June, Belarus announced it will participate in the second stage of Russian drills simulating the launch of tactical nuclear weapons as an element of claimed consistent strengthening of its defence capabilities.

Russia is holding the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant hostage and putting the world in danger of nuclear technological disaster. Violating all principles of nuclear and radiation safety, Russia continues to create an extremely dangerous situation at the station, posing a direct threat to the nuclear safety of all mankind.

The other issue that needs an immediate response from the world community is the widespread and systematic violation of human rights of children in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Violations of international humanitarian law must be stopped, those responsible must be held to account and the victims, including Ukrainian children, must have access to remedy and redress.

To address this problem, the Bring Kids Back UA platform was initiated by the President of Ukraine. The strategic action plan unites the efforts of the Ukrainian Government, partner countries, international organisations and civil society to trace, identify, repatriate and care for all Ukrainian children illegally deported by Russia and to provide the ICC with facts and proven information it needs to prosecute the criminals responsible for these illegal deportations. According to our data, almost 20,000 cases of forcibly deported children by the Russian occupiers were documented. So far, only approximately 600 kidnapped children have been returned and reunited with their families. We expect that Ireland will be among the most active participants of the coalition.

The situation in the Ukraine's energy sector is extremely difficult. Some 9.2 GW of generation capacity has been lost, while Russia continues to target energy facilities. The Russians want to achieve a complete blackout of Ukraine. They have destroyed almost 80% of Ukraine's thermal power generation. More than 800 heat supply facilities have been destroyed or damaged. There are also losses in distribution systems. The terrorist attack of 22 March was the most massive in the history of attacks on the energy sector. The damage was more extensive than during the massive strikes in 2022 and 2023. The enemy used more than 150 different munitions simultaneously. The purpose was to achieve a large-scale blackout in Ukraine and destroy the entire energy system to influence Ukraine's economy and our capacity for electricity export to Europe.

As of today, the EU has accumulated €200 million and G7 countries will provide an additional €1 billion for the urgent repair of Ukraine's energy system. Funds for thousands of generators and solar panels will be raised in order to decentralise energy production and increase the energy system's resilience against Russian attacks. The bill for the destruction in the energy sector alone amounts to over €50 billion.

Unfortunately, we need approximately €35 billion in foreign financial aid due to the budget deficit and high defence and security expenses. This year, Ukraine has already received €10.9 billion in international assistance. This includes IMF funds, EU funds under the Ukraine facility programme and funds from other partners.

Another key source of financing includes frozen Russian funds. We are glad that our partners are actively involved in this process. In July, Ukraine will receive the first €1.5 billion in revenues from frozen Russian assets. Some 10% of these funds will be used for reconstruction and restoration and the rest will mainly go towards defence needs. In addition, G7 countries have agreed to provide €50 billion, which will be covered by the profits from the frozen Russian sovereign assets. The G7 decision is an unambiguous, clear signal for Russia that partners are ready to support Ukraine in the long term. I take this opportunity to thank the Chairman, Deputy Flanagan, for his personal involvement and for his support of the Ukrainian position that made this decision possible. We truly hope that our partners will not stop halfway and Ukraine will rightfully get all the €300 billion of frozen Russian assets.

Regrettably, the economic situation remains extremely dire, even considering recent positive decisions. That is why we need all our partners, including Ireland, to increase their financial support for Ukraine. Last week, the third Ukraine Recovery Conference was held in Berlin to address the vital priorities of Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction. It was a great success, with over 1,000 participants, and resulted in over 100 international agreements worth approximately €16 billion. These agreements will cover projects in the energy sector, the defence industry, the restoration of social and critical infrastructure, the mobilisation of human capital and economic recovery. In addition, memorandums were signed on decentralised electricity production, increasing the use of renewable energy sources, introducing energy-efficient technologies, building smart grids and restoring hydroelectric power plants.

It is important to note that Irish companies, CRH and Kingspan, participated in the conference. Their presence in Ukraine and active investment activity - over €350 million - is another powerful signal that even during wartime, Ukraine is capable of providing investment opportunities to international partners.

Restrictions on Russian oil, including the EU embargo and the G7 price cap, have cost the aggressor more than €105 billion. Russia still manages to acquire technologies and equipment, such as chips and microcircuits, through a network of suppliers and circumvents international sanctions regimes. Lowering the oil price cap to $30 per barrel, gradually restricting access to technology and strengthening market pressure will limit Russia's military power potential and, consequently, the Kremlin's aspirations to wage wars of aggression.

Despite all efforts, Ukraine is still one of the most mined countries in the world: 156,000 km2 remain potentially dangerous because of Russian mines and unexploded ordnance.

This is about 26% of the total area of Ukraine, which is equal to almost twice the area of Ireland. Approximately 6 million people in Ukraine deal with the danger to their lives and health presented by mines.

Ireland is an active participant in the international demining coalition. Irish Defence Forces have already provided demining training and two mine flails that Ukraine is actively using. However, the scale of contamination is such that, according to the World Bank, the complete set of humanitarian demining works will cost more than €37 billion and will take approximately ten years. The use of new technologies can significantly reduce the costs and timeframe. We hope that Ireland will use its expertise and manufacturing capabilities and will provide more training and the necessary demining equipment.

Dear members of the committee, while the fight against Russian aggression is the priority for us, membership of the EU remains one of the key goals for us too. Ukrainians have been committed to our European integration course for the ten years since the 2014 revolution of dignity. Ukraine has made substantial progress in implementing the recommendations outlined in the European Commission's report across all four specified steps, demonstrating unwavering dedication to ongoing European integration reforms, including its anti-corruption efforts. A detailed report was transmitted to the committee prior to this meeting. Ukraine successfully completed all the steps mentioned by the European Commission for further progress on the EU accession path, in particular, adopting the EU’s negotiating framework for Ukraine and holding the first intergovernmental conference, which will officially start the EU-Ukraine negotiation process. We thank Ireland for its persistent support of Ukraine’s path to full membership of the EU. We count on Ireland’s further advocacy and assistance on this path.

Dear members of the committee, the real border between Ukraine and Russia is not merely on the battlefield. It is a line that separates a world governed by law, freedom and democracy from one where powerful individuals impose their will without regard for others. Ukraine's success in prevailing against Russia's war of annihilation would not only ensure its own security but also significantly contribute to the security of Europe as a whole. This is not just Ukraine's struggle; it is a global fight for the values we hold dear. The security of Ukraine is intrinsically linked to the security of Europe. In recent times, even Ireland has witnessed a concerning surge in hostile Russian activity as the Kremlin intensifies its covert operations not only within Ukrainian borders but across the entirety of the European Union and beyond.

I have no doubt but that this war has served as an awakening moment for Europe, challenging everyone to re-evaluate their mindsets. Since the advance of 24 February 2022, it has become evident that providing military and financial assistance to Ukraine is not merely an obligation but a fundamental shift in Europe's perspective. The perpetrator of the war must be held accountable for every crime of this war.

Only from fair responsibility can an historic chance to heal from aggression arise. Russia must go through full and principled responsibility for the unleashed war. It must pay for all the damage that was caused by this aggression.

I stress that as we confront the challenges before us, together we will inscribe the next chapter of European history, a chapter defined by freedom, dignity and the unyielding spirit of the Ukrainian people. Our journey towards a peaceful and free future is not one we undertake alone but as partners in the common fight for democratic values. I thank the committee. Go raibh maith agaibh.