Martin holds talks to join UK’s ‘coalition of the willing’ to defend Ukraine but won’t send troops for ‘deterrent force’

IRELAND has held talks to join UK PM Keir Starmer’s “coalition of the willing” to defend Ukraine but will not send troops, Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said.

It comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today thanked Europe for standing by his country after the US paused support as he declared: “We are not alone.”

Government of Ireland

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EU leaders including Mr Martin met in Brussels earlier for an emergency “war summit” as they discussed an €800bn plan to ‘Re-arm Europe’.

Standing alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, ­President Zelensky thanked the EU for standing with the country as it faces continued attacks from Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

It comes after Donald Trump’s shock move to freeze military support to Ukraine after the two Presidents clashed in a White House press conference that rocked the world.

Speaking in Brussels today, President Zelensky said: “I want to thank European leaders for such strong support from the very beginning of the war and during all this period and last week you stayed with us.

“And of course from all the Ukrainians from all our nation there is big appreciation.

“We are very thankful that we are not alone and this is not just words — we feel it.

“It is very important. You made a strong signal to Ukrainian people, to Ukrainian warriors, to civilians, to all our families and it is great that we are not alone. We feel it and we know it. Thank you.”

The EU war summit has signed off on the lifting of spending rules to enable countries to ramp up their defences by purchasing new weapons and hardware.

A special €150billion loan fund will be set aside from the EU budget to help countries who cannot afford to pump money into their military.

It is estimated 20 countries could sign up to the “coalition of the willing” to protect against Russian aggression.

Britain and France are leading efforts to deploy a peacekeeping force with European and Commonwealth troops as part of a post-war settlement.

Military forces from Australia, Turkey and Canada took part in talks on Wednesday with plans expected to be presented to Mr Trump when finalised.

But Russia foreign minister Sergey Lavrov hit back saying it would mean “direct” involvement from a Nato member and can’t be allowed.

Meanwhile, Mr Martin today confirmed that Ireland does not need to borrow from this EU fund because of our bumper budget surpluses.

SELF-RELIANT SIGNAL

He said European countries need to splash the cash on their militaries “to ensure peace and prosperity into the future” and send a signal to the world that Europe is self-reliant.

The Taoiseach revealed that Ireland’s bumper defence spending will now focus on cybersecurity threats, maritime threats and the procurement of radar to scan our skies.

He said the €800bn EU war chest is needed for other member states who feel “very vulnerable at the moment in terms of the Russian threat”.

The Fianna Fail leader met with PM Starmer today in Liverpool as part of a new reset for the British-Irish relationship.

‘NEW ERA’

Following several years of tensions between the two neighbours over Brexit, Mr Starmer hailed today’s meeting as the beginning of a “new era”.

Several key ministers from Ireland travelled to the UK for the talks with a new 38-point plan nailed down to improve relations in the next five years.

Mr Starmer has been the driving force behind a plan to create a “coalition of the willing” of countries who will back up Ukraine following the pause in US support from President Trump.

Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have been working on a peace plan with Ukraine that they want to pitch to Mr Trump to get the US support.

UKRAINE PLAN

President Macron says this would start with a one-month ceasefire followed by European troops being deployed to Ukraine as a deterrent force.

The two leaders want the US to provide a security guarantee via air support in order to further deter any Russian attack.

Mr Martin and Mr Starmer discussed the possibility of Ireland joining his “coalition of the willing” but he said Ireland will not send troops as a deterrent.

He said: “I spoke to the British PM last evening and we have said publicly already that we are willing to do everything we possibly can to help.

‘DON’T HAVE THAT MILITARY CAPABILITY’

“Obviously there are two strands. One would be a cessation of hostilities or whatever and say there was a peacekeeping monitoring mission required — Ireland would look at that and see what we could do to help in that situation.

“We would not be part of a deterrent force however, which is more longer term. We don’t have that military capability.”

The Taoiseach said Ireland is open to sending soldiers on a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine similar to others that the Irish Defence Forces are already involved in.

However, he said he will not send soldiers to be part of a “deterrent force” as has been recently talked about by ­President Macron.

NUCLEAR OPTION

And the French President ­today told EU leaders that he was open to discussing using his country’s nuclear weapons to protect other European countries.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov today warned that any move to send European troops to Ukraine would be considered “direct war” against Russia.

He said that Russia will see an EU peacekeeping force in Ukraine as the same as a NATO army force.

He also claimed that Macron’s mention of using French nuclear weapons as a deterrent is a threat against Russia.

Meanwhile, Trump officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio are understood to be heading to Saudi Arabia next Wednesday for talks with Ukrainian officials, Fox News said.

It will be the first high-level meeting between the countries since the public spat between President Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart President Zelensky in the Oval Office last week.