Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this motion. Last week we debated the issue of Ukraine in the House and none of us could have imagined that within 24 hours we would see tanks crossing the border and rolling into Ukraine. It is a despicable and sinister act by a determined dictator in Russia, Vladimir Putin. The last time we were here we discussed the notion that “Might is right” and he is pushing that to its limits. While conflict across Europe was something we had hoped we would never see again, we have to recognise that for the past hundreds of years conflict around the globe has been always happening as long as people have thought that greed made it appropriate to conquer and subdue others, take over countries and take wealth and pull that away. The essence of that is the notion of imperialism and that is what Vladimir Putin and the Russian Federation are about; it is an imperialist state which is flexing its muscles. Our hearts go out to the people who are losing their lives, the families who are fleeing and the hundreds of thousands who are trying to cross the border into Poland and other countries to try to get to safety. Our heart and spirit are also with the people of Ukraine, so many of whom are resisting and putting up a strong fight against Russia. Yet, we see a 17 km long convoy of people travelling towards Kyiv, which poses difficulty and which will cause problems for all of the people there if the bombardment of Kyiv is as strong as that would suggest.

I take the points that many Members have made about the Russian ambassador and his performance in the committee last week. In effect, he lied to the committee and the people of Ireland as to the intentions of Russia and of course people are angry about that. I also take the Minister’s point that we have to be careful not to break off diplomatic relations. However, we are all aware that in every conflict in the world there are always back channels and ways of getting things done and sorting out things. Publicly, we have to make a stand and that stand could be clearly made in Ireland. The Russian ambassador's performance and what he did here fly in the face of the common decency one would expect from a diplomat coming to represent a country.

For such a diplomat to come to a neutral country, such as Ireland, and behave in that way, laugh off the prospect of an invasion and describe it as insane and for it to happen the very next day, calls into question his credibility. If the Russian ambassador's credibility is in question, it would be appropriate to call him in and expel him and other Russian diplomats from Ireland at this time.

I appreciate the Minister will say that could have the effect of us losing our embassy in Moscow. However, we have to recognise that we have a crisis situation here. It is an absolute crisis for millions of people in Ukraine and people throughout Europe who are terrified of what will happen when this goes all the way. There is always the possibility that this can change. However, if the Russians continue on the track on which they are going and conquer and hold Ukraine, as many imperialists have found in the past, it is sometimes easier to conquer a country than it is to hold it and I am sure the Russians will have that same experience.

However, we hope we can have a solution here to turn this around. Certainly, what we have seen happen in Moscow and in other cities throughout Russia where ordinary Russians have gone out to protest and to say this is wrong and to call for a different way forward gives heart that, perhaps, there can be a change. Yet, we know that people can be so easily led in the wrong way. Many Russians are certainly being led in the wrong way by Vladimir Putin and by what he is doing and the wrong and negative direction in which he is taking the Russian people. It flies in the face of good international relations we have built up for so long.

The United Nations has a key role to play. We need to use our position on the UN Security Council to maximum benefit. It is true to say we have quite a unique space there as a neutral country and we should use it to the maximum. In that context, I offer our full support to any diplomatic efforts that have been made by the Minister, other diplomats, his Department and the Government, because we are all in this together. We all recognise that what has happened here has been absolutely tyranny for the people of Ukraine and Europe. We need to put every effort into trying to resolve this.

We must also offer as much humanitarian support as possible. People in Ireland, as ever, are more generous than anyone could ever imagine. In every village and town throughout the country, we see people put their hands in their pockets and talk about having collections and assisting and welcoming people from Ukraine to Ireland, as we have always done. Ireland as the country of welcomes is certainly something we need to bring to the fore at this time.

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