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James Sherry, Ambassador of Ireland, Margus Tsahkna, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia, Klen Jäärats, Executive Director of ESTDEV
James Sherry, Irish Ambassador, Margus Tsahkna, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Estonia, Klen Jäärats, Executive Director of ESTDEV. Image: MFA Estonia
James Sherry, Irish Ambassador, Margus Tsahkna, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Estonia, Klen Jäärats, Executive Director of ESTDEV. Image: MFA Estonia

Co-operation in support of Ukraine

The provision of support for Ukraine in the context of Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression is a foreign policy priority shared by Ireland and the Nordic-Baltic region.

Recent examples of collaborations include Ireland participating in the Ukraine Defence Coalition Group Demining Coalition, which is led by Lithuania and Iceland, and a bilateral agreement between Ireland and Lithuania on the funding of underground school bomb shelter construction in Ukraine.

Minister Byrne with Lithuanian Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Sigitas Mitkus, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna, Ambassador of Ireland to Ukraine Jonathan Conlon, and Ambassador of Lithuania to Ukraine Inga Stanytė-Toločkienė
Minister Byrne with Lithuanian Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Sigitas Mitkus, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna, Ambassador of Ireland to Ukraine Jonathan Conlon, and Ambassador of Lithuania to Ukraine Inga Stanytė-Toločkienė. Image: Daniel Griffin

Since 2023, Ireland has participated in the Demining Coalition, which was established to assist Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence and its Armed Forces with the procurement of demining equipment and training in the areas of humanitarian and combat demining.

Meanwhile, in 2024, Ireland and Lithuania signed a Memorandum of Understanding which will see €3 million in humanitarian funding from Ireland contribute to the construction of school bomb shelters in Ukraine, in a project being implemented by Lithuania’s Central Project Management Agency.

In 2025 Ireland is working with Lithuania to provide an additional €2m to support the shelter in the Future School for Ukraine project and the Ukraine2EU Accession support programme.