UKRAINIAN President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to make his first official visit to Ireland next month for high-level talks with government leaders.
According to the Irish Independent, Mr Zelensky is expected to arrive in Dublin on December 2 and depart the following day after a series of meetings with top officials, including Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Harris, and potentially President Catherine Connolly.
The visit follows an invitation extended by the Taoiseach earlier this year.
An Garda Síochána is preparing to declare the trip an “extraordinary event”, a designation used for major state occasions requiring heightened policing measures.
The last time such an order was invoked was in September 2024, when British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited Dublin during the UEFA Nations League match between Ireland and England.
Government sources have not ruled out the possibility of Mr Zelensky addressing the Dáil Éireann during his stay.
This follows his historic virtual address to Irish lawmakers in April 2022, when he urged Ireland to help strengthen European sanctions against Russia.
The trip will mark Mr Zelensky’s first visit to the Irish capital, though he briefly met Mr Martin at Shannon Airport earlier this year during a refuelling stop en route to the United States.
At that meeting, both leaders reaffirmed Ireland’s ongoing humanitarian and political support for Ukraine amid its war with Russia.
Mr Martin said their discussions focused on achieving a “sustainable, comprehensive, and durable” peace, one that must be underpinned by strong security guarantees.
He also reiterated Ireland’s backing for Ukraine’s accelerated bid to join the European Union, saying membership would bring both “security assurances and economic opportunities”.
The Taoiseach added that Ireland continues to advocate for the release of EU Peace Facility funds blocked by Hungary’s veto and remains committed to assisting Ukraine within a non-lethal support framework.
Dublin has also explored contributing to humanitarian efforts such as medical evacuations and food aid for Ukrainian children.
