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

Mr. O'Donnell raised a number of important issues and the response of members is indicative of that. He referred to the helplessness of the international community, an issue we have all raised in the House from time to time when an aggressor appears on the scene. The strongest suit an aggressor always has is the belief that no one can intervene and no action can be taken. Then aggressor in whatever part of the globe he or she may be will proceed. We do not have to go too far back in our history for examples of aggressors assuming supreme control on the basis that nobody had the courage to ask them to stop or to intervene with them. That is the lesson to be learned.

Mr. O'Donnell is correct about the need to reform the UN Security Council in a way that would make it more meaningful and more respected. I was surprised by the appraisal by some Members of the Ukrainian conflict during a debate in the House last week who made a comparison with the war in Kosovo. It was indicated that the EU and NATO were aggressors. Even recent history fades into memory quickly because that was not the case. The aggressor recognised that nobody had the power to intervene. The UN did not have the military power to be able to stand down an aggressor and diplomacy did not work. It was as simple as that. During the famous intervention in Srebrenica, it was clear that the UN was recognised as being helpless and unable to do anything and, as a result, 8,000 people were massacred in one fell swoop. It is to the discredit of the international community that it was unable to deal with that.

Mr. O'Donnell raised the question of the appointment of an ambassador to Ukraine and we should consider this. We will convey that to the Minister.

Deputy O'Sullivan raised an important issue. Diplomacy works in more ways than one. Hidden diplomacy with an iron fist is an alternative. Energy supplies to that region are in Russian hands. The rest of the international community must be able to say to them that they cannot do what they wish all the time. There has to be recognition of the rights of others and of minorities and that applies across the board.

Nelson Mandela left prison after a long number of years. He was unique in the sense that he was a forgiving man. He was able to walk away and then talk about peace. Everybody is not as easily disposed towards peace, particularly when they have been imprisoned following a short, sharp intervention in this fashion and it takes them longer to recover. We need to recognise that Yulia Tymoshenko was not treated in a democratic fashion when she was in prison.