Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

To respond directly to the point made on justice being applied selectively, the European Union, through the Foreign Affairs Council, has put a huge amount of effort into dealing with the issue. The Deputy may be aware that a number of mediators were appointed by the Union, including Mr. Pat Cox, who invested a huge amount of time in travelling to Ukraine to deal with figures in the political sphere to find a solution. This did not happen and the wider crisis has escalated significantly. As I mentioned, I was on Independence Square and one could not help but be struck by the tens of thousands of people who were there in sub-zero conditions. I got there very late at night and saw the huge array of people waving Ukrainian and EU flags, which was a very striking sight. They were waving them as an expression of their hope for better days and better government for their country. We reiterate the need for restraint. The Government communicated this directly today via the Ukrainian ambassador, emphasising the particular responsibility of the Ukrainian Government in this regard.

Earlier, the EU external action service, which is the common diplomatic representative arm of the Union, stated it would send a delegation to Kiev to see what further role we can play in resolving this crisis.

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