President urged to clarify stance on Ukraine as wife’s letter is removed from Áras website

President Michael D Higgins should make a public statement affirming Ireland’s strong support for Ukraine, a Fianna Fáil senator has said, following controversy surrounding a letter on the war with Russia written by the President’s wife.

Senator Malcolm Byrne called on Mr Higgins to clearly state his “opposition to the brutality of Vladimir Putin”.

Mr Byrne made the statement in light of the publication on the President of Ireland’s website of a letter to The Irish Times this week, written by Sabina Higgins.

In her letter, Mrs Higgins said the war in Ukraine would continue until both countries agreed a ceasefire and entered negotiations. She criticised an Irish Times editorial published on July 20th, saying she was “disappointed” and “dismayed” that it did not “encourage any ceasefire negotiations that might lead to a positive settlement”.

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[ Unhappy Ukrainians bridle over Sabina Higgins’s ceasefire advice ]

[ War in Ukraine: a moment of moral choice ]

The intervention by Mrs Higgins has drawn public criticism from some Ukrainians in Ireland, as well as from at least one Ukrainian MP.

Publishing the letter on the Áras website was “appalling”, Mr Byrne said on Twitter. Elaborating in a statement, the Senator said: “Mrs Higgins is entitled to her personal opinion and to express it, although I believe that she is totally wrong to try to see an equivalence in the positions of Ukraine and Russia. However, the decision to publish the letter on the President’s website raises serious questions.

“It is incumbent on the President of Ireland to now express clearly the strong support of the people of Ireland for the people of Ukraine and that we hold Russia responsible for the war and ongoing barbarism.”

“Ireland should rightly be proud of our response to the invasion of Ukraine,” Mr Byrne added.

The letter was published on the Áras an Uachtaráin website this week but, by Friday evening, it was no longer visible on the site. The Irish Times sought a comment from the Áras both on Friday night, and again on Saturday, about the apparent removal of the letter but has received no response.

The Ukrainian ambassador to Ireland Larysa Gerasko said the fact that the letter had “disappeared” from the President’s website indicated Mrs Higgins’ view was not Ireland’s “official position”.

Speaking to RTÉ on Saturday, Ms Gerasko said “Ireland’s position on the Russian war against Ukraine is very well known in Ireland, Europe and across the world, and in the United Nations as well.

“We have overwhelming unwavering support from the Irish Government and from the Irish people.”

Among those to criticise the letter was Kira Rudik, a Ukrainian politician and current leader of the political party Voice. Speaking on Newstalk radio on Friday, she said: “It is not enough for one side to want peace, it needs to be mutual. When we have a country like Russia that attacks another sovereign country what kind of negotiations can be there?

“What is written in the letter is: Let’s make peace so we will allow a bully, an aggressive country to get away with what they have done.”

Other critics included Kateryna Yushchenko, former First Lady of Ukraine from 2005 to 2010, who said in a tweet on Friday: “I recommend, Mrs Higgins, not weighing in on something you obviously know nothing about. As we in Ukraine will not tell your country what to do in your relations with England and Northern Ireland.”

Fine Gael Senator John McGahon described the letter as “inappropriate”, “unhelpful” and “distasteful”.

In a post on Twitter, Mr McGahon said: “Her views are entirely out of touch with those of the Irish people and interventions like this are seen as a tacit endorsement of the Russian regime.”