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

That is a reasonable enough statement. It worries me - this is an observation - that if, for example, the European Union decided to take unilateral action in some fashion and move into Ukraine on one side in order to protect what it would see as its supporters or the people of a similar background and then the Russian Federation did the same for the other side, then we would have a serious crisis on our hands. The point we are trying to get away from here is this - why should it be necessary for the Russian Federation to become involved in the internal affairs of Ukraine? We know a little about parades in this country as well and the fact that one does not like the parade does not necessarily mean that we can use that as a means of conflict or potential conflict. That is merely an observation. Incidentally, I was in Vilnius at the meeting of the Eastern Partnership on the day that the European Union and Ukraine decided to go in opposite directions.

The last point on that relates to the impeachment of the president. We in this country could not become involved in the impeachment of a president or prime minister in an adjoining country, in Europe or outside it. The question that then arises is "why would it be necessary?". The European Union should not become involved in that either. It would be seen by us as an internal issue within Ukraine. We fully respect the right of people of Russian ethnic origin to have their civil and human rights protected in every sense, including the language, as well. So that there would be no doubt at all about the sentiments expressed by the members here, they have a long tradition here of observing civil and human rights, and identifying violations, all over the globe. In fact, the country has established quite a good reputation in that area. I am sorry for interrupting the ambassador, but there is just a part of the argument that I would like him to address.