John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There is no doubt that the annexations of the four regions, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, are totally illegal as they follow what have been widely and correctly described as sham referendums within those regions. Unbelievably, Russia does not even fully control these regions and yet it has declared it is legally annexing them. It is right that the international community acts and responds to any illegal annexation anywhere in the world. It represents a serious escalation in the illegal conflict and occupation in Ukraine and is coupled with the unbelievable threat that nuclear force may be used. Does the Minister see the recent military success on the ground, in which Ukraine has taken back large swathes of land previously occupied by Russia, as an opportunity to push for peaceful discussions to bring the horrific and illegal conflict in Ukraine to an end?

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