Who is popular today?

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has thanked Ireland for the humanitarian and financial support it has provided to Ukraine during an address to a joint sitting of the Houses of the Oireachtas on Wednesday morning.
Speaking via video link, Mr Zelenskiy said although Ireland is a neutral country, “you have not remained neutral to the disaster and to the mishaps that Russia has brought to Ukraine”.
“I’m grateful to you, to every citizen of Ireland, thank you for supporting sanctions against Russia,” he said.
“Thank you for the humanitarian and financial support extended to our country and thank you for caring about Ukrainian people who found shelter on your land.”
TDs, Senators and foreign diplomats gathered in the Dáil chamber to hear Mr Zelenskiy’s address and gave him a standing applause after speaking.
The Ukrainian president also asked Ireland to show “more leadership in our anti-war coalition” and to convince European Union partners to introduce more rigid sanctions against Russia “that would really make sure that the Russian war machine will stop”.
“We have to put an end to trading with Russia. We have to cut ties of Russian banks to the global system, cut the sources of their income from their oil that they use for their weapons and their killing. There are mechanisms out there, how to do this,” he said.
“The only thing we are lacking is the principle approach of some leaders, political leaders, business leaders, who still think that war and war crimes is not something as horrific as financial losses.
“I am sure that your leadership can make a difference and change this. I’m sure that the whole of Europe will be able to stop this war and bring peace and stability in the east of Europe. We cannot delay any longer, the longer this aggression of Russia will continue, the worse will be the consequences, not only for our continent but neighbouring regions.”
Mr Zelenskiy outlined the losses and damage Ukraine has faced since the Russian invasion began on February 24th.
He said 42 days since the war began, at least 167 children have been killed, 927 educational institutions damaged, as well as 258 hospitals, and 78 ambulances have been shot at.
“They were targeting even churches and shelters that they knew for sure that there was nobody but women and children [there], and this is a fact,” he added.
Mr Zelenskiy said Russia was targeting sea ports and vessels and they were using hunger “as a weapon” against “ordinary people . . . as an instrument of domination”.
He said there would be a food shortage and prices would go up, adding that in the city of Mariupol, Russia was blocking humanitarian access to half a million people.
“They’re not allowing anything to come through, neither water nor medication,” he said. “While it was snowing, people could melt the snow to get water, now they don’t even have that. They are bombing 24/7 . . . there is no single house left intact in a half a million city, none.
“The dead and killed were simply buried in the yards of the condominiums and in many cases they couldn’t even do that, the bodies were just left there lying on the streets in the remnants of the buildings, in the basements, and we don’t know how many citizens of Mariupol have been killed by Russia.”

TDs, Senators and foreign diplomats stand to applause Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the Dáil chamber. Photograph: Oireachtas TV


‘Ukraine will prevail’
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said Ireland was “resolute” in its solidarity and support for Ukraine and thanked Mr Zelenskiy for his “heartfelt, honest, clear and historic address” to the Houses of Oireachtas.
Mr Martin said Russia would have to live with “the shame and ignominy of what they have done in Ukraine for generations”.
“Those responsible will be held to account,” he said. “We are with Ukraine and I am certain that in the end, Ukraine will prevail.
“We are a military-neutral country. However, we are not politically or morally neutral in the face of war crimes, quite the opposite.”
Mr Martin said Ireland’s position was informed by “the principles that drive our foreign policy; support for international human rights, for humanitarian law and for a rules-based international order”.
“We are not neutral when Russia disregards all of these principles,” he said.
Mr Zelenskiy is the 22nd person to address a joint sitting of the Houses since the First Dáil was established.
The Russian ambassador to Ireland Yury Filatov did not accept an invitation to the event after Mr Ó Fearghaíl invited all of the diplomatic representations based in the State to the address.
The Oireachtas said on Monday night 45 missions had indicated their diplomats would attend Leinster House.
Opposition leaders again called for Mr Filatov to be expelled from the country.