Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris has spoken with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and discussed Ukraine, the Middle East and bilateral relations between Ireland and the US.
Mr Harris described the conversation as "useful, insightful and engaging".
The Tánaiste said he congratulated Mr Rubio on his appointment and said he "underlined the mutually beneficial nature of the Irish-US economic relationship", including Ireland's position as the sixth largest investor in the US.
They discussed the hundreds of thousands of jobs created on both sides of the Atlantic by Irish and US investment.
Mr Harris said he was looking forward to working constructively with the US administration and recalled that as Taoiseach last year, he had had a constructive phone call with President Donald Trump upon his election last November.
The Tánaiste thanked the Secretary of State for the sustained and bipartisan engagement of the US in support of peace and reconciliation on the island of Ireland.
Mr Harris also briefed Mr Rubio on plans to mark St Patrick’s Day in the US, including his visit to New York and Philadelphia, Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s meeting with President Trump in Washington DC, and other ministerial trips which include an Irish government visit to Mr Rubio’s home state of Florida.
They also agreed to meet in person shortly.
Speaking on RTÉ's Six One, Mr Harris said he told Mr Rubio that the White House row between Mr Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was "deeply upsetting and unsettling".
He said Mr Rubio informed him that Mr Trump wanted to see the conflict between Russia and Ukraine to come to an end.
"I would’ve made the point, constructively, that how we bring about peace matters," he said.
The Tánaiste added: "Europe is willing to do more. Indeed, at our own Government meeting today we allocated €100 million more for Ukraine.
"European leaders this week will look at the whole issue of how they can support Ukraine further."
However, Mr Harris said he told Mr Rubio that whatever arrangements European leaders come to regarding Ukraine, they will still need US support.
