TAOISEACH LEO VARADKAR has been invited to visit Ukraine by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy extended the invitation to Varadkar during a phone call between the two leaders earlier today.

In a readout from a Government spokesperson, Varadkar told Zelenskyy that Ireland stood in solidarity with Ukraine and that it would continue to back their application to join the EU.

He said that Ireland had taken in over 70,000 Ukrainian refugees and that “the Irish people were responding to their difficult situation with great generosity”.

“The Taoiseach said Ireland would continue to provide financial and other assistance to Ukraine. Ireland was very aware of Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, and was pleased to help with equipment to repair its electricity grid, such as the large transformer sent from Ireland to Ukraine this month,” a Government spokesperson said.

Varadkar also told Zelenskyy that Ireland supported the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity. 

Zelenskyy told Varadkar that people in Ukraine remained strong and that he believed Russia would not win the war.

In a tweet earlier this evening, Zelenskyy thanked Varadkar for the support provided to Ukraine by Ireland.

“Had the first phone call with Prime Minister of Ireland Leo Varadkar. Thanked for freezing Russian assets, discussed support for Ukraine’s energy system and post-war recovery. Invited to join the implementation of the Peace Formula,” Zelenskyy tweeted.

The call between the two leaders is the first since Varadkar took over as Taoiseach in late December.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin had previously visited Ukraine last July while he was Taoiseach, meeting with Zelenskyy in Kyiv and touring areas that had been badly hit by Russian attacks.

In April last year, Zelenskyy addressed a joint sitting of the Oireachtas and told TDs and Senators that Russia was acting as a “colonial empire” and that it had been using “hunger as a weapon” against Ukrainians.