Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)

The Taoiseach's former Cabinet colleague and now preferred choice for President, Heather Humphreys, took part in a radio debate about a week ago during which she said that Irish troops should not be stopped from being sent to Ukraine by a Russian veto. Is that the Taoiseach's position? Is he in favour of sending Irish troops to Ukraine without Russian consent? Doing so would mean placing their lives in very serious danger because they would be seen as hostile forces by Russia if they were sent there despite its opposition. It would also presumably mean that there would be no peace agreement. They would not be peacekeeping troops. In other words, they would be part of a NATO- or EU-led military intervention rather than an international peacekeeping force.

To be clear, I am opposed to the Russian invasion. I call for Russia's unconditional withdrawal. I call for the right of ordinary people in Ukraine to decide, but I am against Irish troops----

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