Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
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Thank you. I will have to read the responses later but I will be interested to do so.

We have a great appreciation and understanding of all of the suffering of the Ukrainian people right through the 20th century and into the 21st, and there is no question about that. There is great empathy towards that here in Ireland and a great awareness of the huge suffering. The ambassador mentioned in her remarks our relationships in international fora, and I have worked with her parliamentary colleagues on the Council of Europe. I had the privilege of visiting Kharkov on one occasion. It is a beautiful city and, sadly, in a conflict situation, it would be very much on the front line, which is tragic.

It is the Irish position that we respect the territorial integrity of Ukraine and we are against the occupation of Crimea, and Donbas as well. I want to ask a question and it is important that this gets asked and that the ambassador responds to it. It is a question that many people want to ask but they are a bit too polite to ask the ambassador. Would she accept it is reasonable for the Russians to be afraid of Ukraine's full participation in Europe and in NATO without some guarantees? Is that a reasonable fear on the Russian side? Although it is not reasonable that Russia should occupy Ukrainian territory, would the ambassador accept there is an onus on Ukraine in the middle of the current diplomatic efforts? We pray that there is a successful meeting between the German Chancellor and the Russian President today. Would the ambassador accept that while Ukraine has a right to national self-determination and the right to join any international body it wants, the Russian people would want a sense of security, and that to have NATO on their borders is quite frightening from their perspective too? How would the ambassador respond to that?

What is her response to the Russian withdrawal of troops today? Does she see that as a good sign or does she see it as some sort of manoeuvring? Hopefully, she will be fit to tell us it is good news. In Ireland, we would love to believe that it is. There is nobody in this Chamber who does not realise, for many reasons, the horror of war and we want a war avoided at all costs. The ambassador might comment on that initiative today.

On a question that has already been asked, the ambassador might comment on the Minsk agreement and its working out. Why has there been a breakdown and breaches of that agreement, and what can be done?

I raised a point with the Russian ambassador on civil liberties and human rights in Belarus and the horrendous things that are happening in Belarus. I understand that there used to be close relations between Ukraine and Belarus but that, under Lukashenko, those relations are strained and that this presents a threat and a worry to Ukraine.

The ambassador might comment on that or explain to us the relationship with Belarus, its implications for Ukraine and indeed what the ambassador would say about several rights issues in Belarus. Unfortunately, that is not the ambassador’s main agenda or concern here today.

In summary, and I thank the Chair for facilitating me because I have to go back to a job elsewhere, we are a mutually peace-loving people. The ambassador recognises our role in the UN, etc. We want a peaceful outcome here. If she were to get sense of what the Irish people want, the Irish people would love the ambassador to say today that she will go any distance within reason to achieve peace, that she is actively seeking peace and that she is happy to give the Russians a confidence that they are not threatened by an independent, strong Ukraine, and that that could be achieved through diplomatic methods.