Ireland in talks to use Ukrainian drone technology for maritime security

Ireland is in talks to use drone technology from Ukraine for maritime security, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said. Following a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Dublin on Wednesday, the Taoiseach said the Department of Defence is exploring a joint memorandum with its Ukrainian counterpart on drone manufacturing and technology.He said this was given Ukrainian expertise in unmanned drones, with Ireland able to avail of Ukrainian technology for unmanned drones which could be used for maritime security. Zelenskiy said his country is “ready for co-production” of drones with Ireland and that he expected “our drone deal with Ireland to become operational”. READ MOREZelenskiy is in Dublin to attend a meeting of the European Political Community (EPC), which Ireland is hosting as part of it presidency of the council of the European Union.At a press conference following a meeting between the two leaders on Wednesday evening, Martin emphasised that any peace agreement must recognise the sovereignty of Ukraine, its territorial integrity and the right of the Ukrainian people to determine their own future. “We have put Ukraine at the heart of our European presidency programme,” the Taoiseach said, adding that “as much progress as possible” has been made on accession talks, while pledging that Ireland will do all it can to open the two remaining “negotiating clusters” in this process before its presidency ends. Zelenskiy said it would be “an extremely important result” to do so by the end of the year. Martin and Zelenskiy in Government Buildings. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to fly into Dublin on Thursday to brief the Ukrainian president, having travelled from peace talks in Abu Dhabi to Moscow, where they were to meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin. The Ukrainian president said he expected to be briefed on the reaction from the Russian side to matters raised during the Abu Dhabi talks, including on the scale of prisoner of war exchanges, and the format for security guarantees that can be offered to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, an energy ceasefire and a potential “trilateral” meeting between leaders to discuss matters that cannot be delegated to negotiating parties. He said he wanted “very concrete” answers on security guarantees from the US, while also emphasising that it was “impossible” for Ukraine to consider giving up the Donbas region as part of a settlement. “I expect to receive answers to this and to meet with them tomorrow evening in Dublin,” he said, adding later: “The Americans are flying [to Moscow] with concrete, specific things to Putin, I would really like them to come to Dublin with specific things.”US special envoy Steve Witkoff (right), UAE foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan (C) and US president Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner (left) attend talks with a Russian delegation in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. Photograph: Altaf Qadri/Pool/AFP via Getty Images Both men emphasised the importance of a European voice at the negotiating table, with Zelenskiy suggested that the Americans are warming to this position. He said he wants Europeans to be not on the sidelines, but participating on an equal footing.Martin said that European leaders would have discussions about who would represent Europe in peace negotiations at an informal meeting of EU leaders in Dublin on Friday, saying he expected to be “in a position to bring clarity” to that. “There has to be a European voice at the table when our interests are discussed,” he said.Zelenskiy said work on sanctions cannot be relaxed, both those applying to individuals and to businesses through which Russia can source components and equipment for weapons production.The Ukrainian president said there was a “window of opportunity” to get a result by the end of this year against a backdrop of political changes in Europe and other changes under way in American politics.“I think that it’s important for this negotiating team to get the result this year, based on what we’re saying. It seems to me they really want that to happen.”“Of course we want to get results by the end of this year, and of course we will be doing everything to make that happen.”While the Ukrainian president made no direct mention of Irish exports of alumina to Russia, he said: “We ask all our partners in Europe and around the world to focus on this. We need to restrict Russia’s weapons production, this is one of the best ways to push Russia towards real dialogue, real steps towards peace.”The EU’s envoy on sanctions has said alumina produced by Aughinish Alumina in Limerick “undoubtedly” ended up supplying, at least in part, the Russian military-industrial complex. Asked if he wanted EU countries, including Ireland, to send Ukrainians back to their home country if they have not completed their military service, Zelenskiy said there were complex situations around how people had left Ukraine but he wanted those people who were eligible for military service to return. Martin said: “We don’t envisage pursuing people in that context in terms of sending people back and I don’t think that’s a dynamic we’ve ever been asked to engage in.”