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New Delhi: Ireland on Wednesday (July 1) began its six-month presidency of the Council of the European Union, placing maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and sustaining pressure on Russia through a fresh sanctions package among the bloc’s immediate priorities, while stressing that Brussels now has a “mature” relationship with India that accommodates differences over Moscow.

Launching Ireland’s EU presidency in the Indian capital, Irish ambassador Kevin Kelly said Europe was assuming the rotating presidency “at a time of so much change and so much turmoil in the world,” pointing to Russia’s war against Ukraine, conflict in West Asia, growing geopolitical competition and pressure on the multilateral system.

“Even in our preparations a few years ago, we could never have anticipated the world of 2026,” he said, noting that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was simultaneously attending the presidency launch in Dublin in “an important signal from the Irish Presidency”.

Speaking at the event held at the Press Club of India, Kelly said support for Ukraine would remain “a defining priority” of Ireland’s presidency. “That will involve supporting robust, targeted sanctions against Russia, working to advance Ukraine’s path to the European Union and making sure that Ukraine has access to the financial support it needs to defend........

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