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Speaking live on Euronews’ morning show Europe Today, Ireland’s minister of state for EU Affairs and Defence Thomas Byrne said that Ukraine remains “very strong and forward in people’s minds in Europe.”
His comments come as EU defence ministers meet in Brussels to discuss Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East.
“The question is how do we best help Ukraine,” Byrne said. “Whether it’s provision of military material, whether it is through sanctions on Russia, whether it’s through peace talks or indeed the enlargement of the European Union.”
Ireland will take over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union in July — a role expected to put Dublin at the heart of talks to end the war in Ukraine.
EU officials are preparing a 21st package of sanctions against Russia, despite growing debate among member states over whether these measures are enough to change the Kremlin’s course.
“We’ve got through 20 packages,” Byrne told Europe Today. “Those sanctions have had an impact on the Russian economy, quite a significant impact. They clearly haven’t ended the war, but I think we need to continue putting pressure on Russia and indeed on its people in order that they can somehow put pressure on Vladimir Putin.”
The issue of direct engagement with Moscow has returned to the agenda after renewed discussions around potential peace talks. Byrne signalled that Ireland would support diplomatic contacts if they could contribute to ending the war.
“We’ve supported when individual leaders have contacted Vladimir Putin in the past,” he said. “We think it is important to allow that dialogue to take place if it’s going to end the war.”
However, Byrne stopped short of pinpointing a special envoy to be appointed to engage directly with the Russian president, describing it as “a consideration for another day.”
The minister also welcomed a breakthrough in Brussels on sanctions targeting Israeli settlers accused of violence in the occupied West Bank. The move became possible after Hungary’s new government dropped its previous opposition.
“I think it’s very, very welcome that Hungary has changed its position on this,” Byrne said. “Nobody disagrees with this now around the European table.”
He hinted the political shift in Budapest could have wider implications for EU policy, particularly regarding Ukraine’s accession process.
“The Hungarian government up to now has blocked the opening of accession talks formally with Ukraine, and that’s something we’d like to see change,” Byrne said.
Asked about Ireland’s absence from this year’s Eurovision Song Contest amid controversy surrounding Israel’s participation, Byrne stressed that the decision was made independently by Ireland’s public broadcaster RTÉ and not by the government.
“We’re not Hungary. We don’t get involved in telling the media what to do in Ireland,” he insisted. “The independence of RTÉ is something that has been critical and central to our democracy over the decades.
Watch the full interview in the player above.