Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There is a broad range of issues which have been raised for the Tánaiste's response. My only point would be in defence of Yulia Tymoshenko, on whose behalf I have put down numerous parliamentary questions over the last number of years, which is that she was in prison. She will not have been exhilarated that she was kept in prison for so long, which might account for some of her reaction on her release. That is understandable, albeit it may not have been the wisest thing to do. She had a great deal of time to think in prison and there were no preferred charges or proper trial.

Many countries which have had an association with Russia over the years - the Baltic and communist bloc countries generally - still have a resentment for ills that were never addressed during a regime of 50 years. It is quite an amount of resentment and it does not go away. It is very difficult to explain to those outside how deep that resentment goes, but it is there. I remember once asking someone in one of those countries about why the Russian minority did not receive fair treatment. The person replied "My father was taken prisoner in 1942 and was never seen again". That was typical of countless experiences. It is not by way of explanation but rather to try to understand the situation. While Russia is a large and powerful country and a significant trading block with a huge population, there are also consequences for Russia, as the Tánaiste has said. It cannot because of its power and strength decide to ignore what would normally be regarded as the democratic expression of views and opinions in the ordinary way.