Zelenskyy plans to visit UK and Ireland
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit Ireland this weekend and the United Kingdom next week, according to The Guardian.
In the UK, the Ukrainian president is expected to address European leaders at Blenheim Palace. The event will focus on discussions about Ukraine, European security, and democracy.
Zelenskyy spoke with newly-appointed British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the NATO summit in Washington, but this will be his first opportunity to meet with a broader delegation of the Labour government, which will reaffirm London’s continued support.
The Guardian's article also notes that arrangements for the Ukrainian president's trips are rarely confirmed, but according to a source, there is a 90% certainty that Zelenskyy will be there.
The conference, scheduled for Thursday, marks the fourth meeting of the European Political Community. This collective was the brainchild of French President Emmanuel Macron, established following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In addition to the UK, the event invites non-EU countries, including Norway, Iceland, Georgia, Kosovo, Serbia, Albania, and Turkiye.
"Ukraine will dominate the plenary discussion with leaders, who will then be invited to join three break-out working groups centring on defence and democracy, which will include sessions on the disinformation crisis, energy and migration," writes The Guardian.
According to British media, Zelenskyy will make his first visit to Ireland on Saturday morning. He will land at Shannon Airport for a meeting with Prime Minister Simon Harris.
Ireland, which provides non-lethal aid to Ukraine, particularly in demining through EU institutions, is expected to offer more support to Kyiv in its efforts to recover around 20,000 children who were forcibly deported by Russian occupiers to Russia and Belarus.
Previously in May, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine and Ireland had agreed to begin work on a bilateral security agreement.
Additionally, in recent days, the Ukrainian president spoke about his meeting with the new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Washington at the NATO summit. He stated that London had approved the use of Storm Shadow missiles against Russia, and the parties discussed the implementation of this decision.
