Michael D Higgins Ukraine row: Spokesperson says he has repeatedly condemned ‘illegal, immoral and unjustifiable Russian invasion’

Mrs Higgins wrote to the Irish Times last week to criticise one of the newspaper’s editorials on the conflict.

In the letter, she said the fighting would go on until the world “persuades President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine to agree to a ceasefire and negotiations”.

Critics have suggested Mrs Higgins was drawing an equivalence between the actions of Ukraine and Russia.

Scrutiny of the letter intensified after it was reportedly published for a brief period on the Irish president’s official website. It appears since to have been removed from the site.

A statement issued to the Irish Times by a spokesperson for President Higgins said: “The record shows President Higgins has been unequivocal in his condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine from his original statement on March 1.

“He has repeatedly condemned what he has described as the illegal, immoral and unjustifiable Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“He has called for an immediate Russian withdrawal and end to the violence.”