Sabina Higgins letter

President Michael D Higgins' wife Sabina has been criticised for comments she made on the war in Ukraine, which were described as 'inappropriate, unhelpful.

'I would caution against telling a country who has been invaded that they must make every effort for peace when it wasn't they who instigated the war. She made no reference to who was the aggressor. The fact that the Russian Ambassador is praising her letter is a testament to how inappropriate, unhelpful and distasteful this intervention was. 'Sabina Higgins is a longtime committed anti-war activist in her own right and that should be respected,' he said. 'Her views are entirely out of touch with those of Irish people and interventions like this are seen as a tacit endorsement of the Russian regime. Mr Filatov's words led to further criticism of Mrs Higgins' comments.

Fianna Fáil senator says the decision to publish Sabina Higgins' letter on the President's site 'raises serious questions'

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. 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. In her letter, Mrs Higgins said the war in Ukraine would continue until both countries agreed a ceasefire and entered negotiations.

Sabina Higgins, in a letter to the Irish Times, called for both Ukraine and Russia to “agree to a ceasefire and negotiations”.

Fine Gael senator John McGahon tweeted a screenshot of the letter posted on the presidential website. “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.” It has since been removed but McGahon said it was “inappropriate” for the letter to be published on the website. In a letter to the Irish Times on Wednesday, Sabina Higgins wrote that the war will continue “until the world persuades President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine to agree to a ceasefire and negotiations”. A Ukrainian MP, however, called the letter “underinformed” and said “it is not enough for one side to want peace – it needs to be mutual”. A FIANNA FÁIL senator has called on Michael D Higgins to make a public statement to “express clearly” the Irish support for Ukraine following viewpoints in a letter by Sabina Higgins that the Russian Ambassador said “makes sense”.

Malcolm Byrne called on President Michael D Higgins to publicly outline Ireland's continued support for Ukraine.

“Your editorial states that in the war it is estimated that 25,000 to 27,000 Russians have been killed in the fighting. This is surely a moment of moral choice. Ireland should rightly be proud of our response to the invasion of Ukraine.”

A Ukrainian member of parliament has described calls by Sabina Higgins for a negotiated settlement of the war in Ukraine as "under-informed" and "painful".

An opinion in the paper is one thing but putting it on the website is completely changing the game." But if the President's office put it on the website that means they are accepting the views. "When somebody calls for peace, I can tell you there is too much blood, too much pain and no security guarantees.

The wife of President Michael D Higgins criticised a recent Irish Times editorial saying she was disappointed it did not "encourage any ceasefire negotiations ...

Sabina Higgins’s letter was inappropriate, unhelpful and distasteful.— Senator John McGahon (@John_McGahon) Local Fine Gael Senator John McGahon has described the letter as "inappropriate, unhelpful and distasteful." A letter written by Sabina Higgins calling for both sides to agree a negotiated settlement to end the war in Ukraine has received a strong backlash at home and abroad.

President Michael D Higgins has faced calls to clarify his position on the Ukraine conflict after his wife's letter to an Irish newspaper.

It is Russian soldiers that have murdered women and children in the streets of Ukraine. People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett tweeted: “The attacks on & censoring of #SabinaHiggins are disgraceful. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. It appears to have been since removed from the site. I believe they’re open to criticism.” “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.

Intervention by President's wife has drawn criticism from some Ukrainians in Ireland, as well as from one Ukrainian MP.

Mrs Higgins’s letter was published on the Áras an Uachtaráin website earlier this week, but by Friday evening it was no longer visible on the site. “A negotiated peace is not defeat, it is an agreement reached between parties. In her letter, Mrs Higgins said the war in Ukraine would continue until both countries agreed a ceasefire and entered negotiations.

A controversial letter about the Ukraine conflict written by the Irish president's wife has been described as a “slap in the face” for the tho...

Local News Local News People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett tweeted: “The attacks on & censoring of #SabinaHiggins are disgraceful. It is Russian soldiers that have murdered women and children in the streets of Ukraine. I believe they’re open to criticism.” It appears to have been since removed from the site.