Ann Graves (Dublin Fingal East, Sinn Fein)

The Irish people stand in solidarity with Ukraine. We have actively supported the Ukrainian people since the Russian invasion in February 2022. This illegal invasion has caused huge instability in Europe. The trauma of this war has moved way beyond the borders of Ukraine and Russia. The incursion of Russian drones into Poland’s airspace is completely unacceptable, reckless and provocative. It is a further example of a Russian Government that is intent on provocation and destabilisation in the region. It is a breach of international law and must be taken with the utmost seriousness. The Russian Government should stop interfering in the airspace of other countries. Furthermore, it should end its war of aggression in Ukraine and engage in meaningful peace talks.

Since March 2022, 5.6 million people have fled Ukraine. Almost 140,000 Ukrainians fled to Ireland seeking sanctuary from the war in their homeland. Many want to return home as soon as peace breaks out but over 80,000 have remained here, making Ireland their home.

Sinn Féin utterly condemns Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. Putin’s invasion brought the horrors of war back to the centre of Europe, something previous generations hoped they would never see again. Like all wars, the war in Ukraine will have to come to an end. Sinn Féin calls for a co-ordinated and concerted effort by the international community to secure an end to the conflict. The world must put the same effort into making peace as has gone into making war. Ukraine, Russia, the United States, the EU and the UN must play a role in bringing this conflict to an end. This will require putting the interests of the people of the region above other geopolitical interests, including the profit-motivated interests of the armaments industries. These negotiations must include Ukraine. There can be nothing agreed without the consent of Kyiv. Ireland must use its position as a neutral state to aid these efforts.

The war in Ukraine is taking a terrible toll on the people of the region. Total civilian casualties from January to October 2025 are 27% higher than during the same period last year. Today, the Ukrainian Government confirmed that as many soldiers have deserted the army as are in the entire Ukrainian army. Security forces are rounding up men to force them to fight at the front. It is time to reiterate our call for a sustainable, permanent and just outcome to the war through a negotiated peace settlement.

The cost of this war is paid in human misery. Those who suffer the most have no control over the war itself. Siegfried Sassoon’s “Base Details” paints the picture: those who make the decisions about war do so from the safety of bunkers, far removed from the front line. Sadly, this applies to war in Ukraine as much as it did during the First World War, when the poem was written. As we look around the world, we see the terrible cost to civilians during wars, particularly women and children. In the genocide in Gaza, the war in Sudan and the war here in Europe, it is civilians who carry the burden of casualties, as well as the decision to try to flee the warzones.

Today, the message from the Dáil is clear. Ireland stands for peace with justice. We must lead the demands for negotiations, and Ireland must be prepared to use its influence to facilitate those negotiations. Our own history shows that conflict, no matter how intractable it appears, can only be resolved through talks and negotiations. In fact, our peace process proves it is only through talks that the seeds of peace can be sown. Current conflicts in Ukraine and Sudan, and the ongoing genocide in Gaza, are heartbreaking. These conflicts must be brought to a just resolution. Sadly, bullets and bombs make huge profits for the warmongers. Only yesterday, Germany resumed exporting weapons to Israel, having partially suspended their export in August this year.

By March 2024, the US and EU had supplied a combined total of €246 billion in military aid to Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia had spent an estimated €215 billion on the war in Ukraine. Sinn Féin and the Irish people oppose these conflicts and those profiteering from them. We want a Europe in peace and a world where peace, prosperity and stability reign.

See this speech in context