Irish premier to meet Zelensky at Shannon Airport before US trip

Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin is to meet Volodymyr Zelensky at Shannon Airport before the Ukrainian president travels to the US, it has been confirmed.

The two leaders will hold a meeting at around lunchtime.

It comes as Martin cancelled a visit to meet political leaders in Northern Ireland on Thursday.

The Ukrainian president is briefly stopping in Shannon on his way to the US, where he plans to meet US President Donald Trump.

Zelensky will visit the White House on Friday to finalize a deal on US access to Ukraine's minerals.

Martin had been due to travel to Belfast to hold meetings with First Minister Michelle O'Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, as well as the leaders of the cross-community Alliance Party and the Irish nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP).

Martin's office had earlier said the trip was cancelled "due to a schedule change."

It was to be Martin's first visit to Northern Ireland since he was reappointed to the premiership.

Martin was due to deliver a keynote address at the Dublin Belfast Economic Corridor Summit at the International Convention Centre in Belfast.

It was planned that he would then travel to Stormont Castle where O'Neill and Little-Pengelly would host a meeting.

The Fianna Fáil leader was then to make his way to Parliament Buildings where he was to be greeted by Speaker of the Assembly Edwin Poots, which would have been followed by a meeting with Alliance Party leader Naomi Long and SDLP leader Claire Hanna.

Speaking before the cancelled visit, Martin said: "I am very much looking forward to my first visit to Northern Ireland since becoming taoiseach [prime minister] again, to meet with the first minister and deputy first minister and other political leaders.

"It is also a good opportunity to address the Dublin Belfast Economic Corridor Summit, on the back of ambitious new funding for Shared Island initiatives to unlock potential in sustainable tourism, arts and culture, and economic growth."