Ireland could provide peacekeepers to Ukraine if it was required under a UN-mandated ceasefire agreement, it has emerged.
RTÉ News understands that Taoiseach Micheál Martin made the offer during a video conference with other EU leaders organised by French President Emmanuel Macron.
A source said that Mr Martin told the meeting that Ireland would not get involved in a deterrent force in Ukraine, but in the event of a ceasefire with an international mandate based on the UN charter, then Ireland could consider a peacekeeping contribution.
It is understood Mr Martin viewed the option as somewhat hypothetical at present.
The Taoiseach is understood to have referenced Ireland's involvement in the peacekeeping operation in Lebanon, under the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.
He is thought to have told the video conference that Ukraine first and foremost needed cast iron security guarantees to ensure Russia did not attack again, and that Ukraine’s accession to the European Union should be accelerated.
Tánaiste: Anyone attempting to blame Ukraine for war 'engaging in revisionism on speed'
Earlier, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris has said anyone who "attempts to blame Ukraine" for the war with Russia is "clearly engaging in revisionism on speed".
Mr Harris was responding to US President Donald Trump's assertion that Ukraine started and is continuing the war.
"There's only been one aggressor in relation to this brutal, illegal invasion and that is Vladimir Putin, who took a decision to invade a peaceful neighbouring country on the continent of Europe," he said.
Speaking to RTÉ's News at One, the Tánaiste said everyone wants to see peace, but how that peace is brought about matters.
"You cannot disregard the territorial independence or sovereignty of a country, you can't disregard the UN Charter and you can't disregard the views of the European Union and European Union member states when this is indeed a war on the continent of Europe," he said.
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"Whatever process is put in place has to bring about a peace that is just, that is enduring, and that absolutely will last."
Mr Harris said that from speaking to President Trump, he does not doubt that Mr Trump "definitely" wants to see peace.
"The point I would respectfully make to our colleagues in the United States is, how you bring about peace matters," he said.
"And any peace process has to absolutely be on the terms of Ukraine, in terms of recognising that they are the sovereign nation that was invaded.
"This is not about two neighbours having a bit of a dispute, this is about one sovereign country in Europe that has been brutally invaded by Russia, and that has to be recognised in terms of any process to go forward on.
"Europe can't be silent on this and Ireland wants to play a constructive role as a member of the European Union in speaking up for these values and we always have when it comes to our foreign policy."
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Mr Harris said Europe, including Ireland, has "been with Ukraine" since the start of the Russian invasion. He described it as not just a war on Ukraine, but also on Europe.
He is due to attend a meeting of G20 foreign ministers in South Africa this week and said that when he meets with his European counterparts, Ukraine will "absolutely" be top of the agenda.
He said it was important that Ireland engages in every global forum possible when it comes to issues like trade, jobs, climate, Ukraine and the Middle East.
"For Ireland to have a seat at the table can only be in our national interest," he said.
When asked about the possibility of Ireland sending soldiers as part of any international or European peacekeeping force in Ukraine, Mr Harris said: "We can't jump to that because we can't buy into the premise that there's a peace process underway.
"I have seen no evidence yet that Putin wants peace," he added.
However, he said Ireland should not "recuse itself " from the possibility if there was a peace process in place or a "peacekeeping mission".
"The honest answer is we're not at this point yet," he said.
Ireland should increase defence spending
Mr Harris said Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill was "right" that Ireland should double its defence spending and had already begun to "significantly increase" such spending.
He said the figure has increased by "about 30% over the last number of years" adding that this year's defence budget of €1.35bn "is the highest ever".
However, he said a lot more needs to be done.
"Just because we're militarily neutral... doesn't mean we don't need to take defence and security more seriously," he said.
"It doesn't mean we don't need to monitor what happens across and around our coastline and at sea. We need to invest in radar, we need to invest in sonar equipment.
Mr Harris said he met with Defence Forces generals this week to discuss "speeding up" the provision of resources and infrastructure to enable the body to carry out its role.
"So we're on a trajectory of significantly increasing spending on defence and security," he added.
He said the Government has committed under the Commission on the Defence Forces to getting to a defence budget of €1.5bn by 2028.
However, he said he believes "the world has changed even since that agreement was put in place" and they need to "show real form" when it comes to defence and security spending.
Mr Harris said Ireland's military neutrality is "categorically not" being "chipped away at" and that there is a "great respect" for Irish neutrality around Europe and beyond, and the "very positive role we play" in peacekeeping.
"But there also has to be a recognition... that we do need to protect ourselves in terms of cyber attacks and cyber threats," he said.
"We've seen the impact of that on our public services from hybrid attacks. How would we feel if a situation happened with one of our cables underseas off our coast?
"So being militarily neutral doesn't excuse you from being part of a conversation. In fact, you have an even greater obligation perhaps to invest more in your own defence and security."
