Ukraine, Zelensky in Dublin for the Irish EU presidency ceremony: latest news today

Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin invited European Council President António Costa and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to attend the inauguration ceremonythis afternoon at Dublin Castle, of the Ireland’s six-month presidency of the European Union.

The College of European Commissioners, led by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, will celebrate the start of the presidency by holding its weekly meeting in Cork on Friday. The Irish Prime Minister will hold a bilateral meeting with the President of the European Council Antonio Costa. The ceremony will be attended by former Prime Ministers, former and current Irish MEPs, former Irish European Commissioners, as well as the current Commissioner for Justice, Democracy and the Rule of Law Michael McGrath.

“This is a very important moment for our country, as we assume the presidency for the eighth time, and I am very grateful to both presidents for helping us mark the occasion with an opening ceremony at Dublin Castle, during which we will fly the EU and Ukrainian flags,” Martin said. “In my meeting with President Costa, I look forward to discussing how we can work closely together to achieve our ambitious political agenda – he added – We want to improve Europe’s competitiveness, making life easier for our businesses and providing quality jobs for its citizens”.

“We want to defend the fundamental values ​​that are at the basis of our Union, protecting our democracy and guaranteeing the safety of our citizens – the prime minister continued – Ukraine is part of our European family, so I look forward to reiterating to President Zelensky that Ireland and the EU will continue to firmly support Ukraine and his people for as long as necessary. Support for Ukraine will be an important priority for us during our mandate. In our meetings today we will also discuss how to increase pressure on Russia so that the cost of continuing its illegal war becomes unsustainable.”

New long-range attacks against Russian refineries and missile sites

Meanwhile, Zelensky has formalized the execution of a second attack against an oil refinery located in the Russian city of Ufa, one of the largest Russian producers of lubricants, which is over 1,300 kilometers from the front. The Ukrinform news agency reports the official communication released by the head of state via the Telegram channel.

The operation also involved a strategic structure located in the Russian region of Penza, a site dedicated to the development and production of components for the missile systems used by the Russian armed forces in the offensives against Ukrainian population centers: “The distance to the target is approximately 600 kilometers from the front”, Zelensky recalled, adding: “Peace is necessary, and this is exactly what the Russian leadership must understand. Russia must put an end to its war”.