Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire agus roimh an rún atáimid á phlé anocht. Tá ardmholadh tuillte ag an Seanadóir Dooley as an rún a chur os ár gcomhair. Is rún tábhachtach agus suntasach é agus, mar atá ráite ag comhghleacaithe eile, gheobhaidh sé tacaíocht ar fud an tSeanaid anocht.

Russia's full-frontal and declared invasion of Ukraine has entered its third month. More than 4,000 people - men, women and children - have been deliberately killed by the Russian military in the carpet bombing of cities, towns, villages and hamlets. The Russian Government is waging its war against defenceless civilians, with no regard to the many human rights conventions that ban such crimes against humanity during war.

The Russian Government's bombing strategy is to force the civilian population to leave their homes and create a wasteland for the Russian Government to seize as its territory. The Russian bombardment has left eastern Ukraine in ruins. In the war it is waging in the Donbas region, we can see that the provinces of Luhansk and Donetsk are slowly being annexed by the Russian military. As a consequence of Russian aggression, millions of Ukrainians have been uprooted from their homes and are now refugees in their own country and across the European Union.

It is important that we remind ourselves that the Russians have been involved in an undeclared war in Ukraine from 2014, when they invaded Crimea and the Donbas region. Since 2014, nearly 15,000 people have died in this undeclared war. In that context, it is nothing short of an amazing story that the people of Ukraine have not only halted the Russian military juggernaut in its attempt to take Kyiv but have forced it back. The people of Ukraine, of all ages, gender and class, have joined the national resistance to free their country from Russian occupation. The Ukrainian resistance has inspired the people of the world and especially the people of the EU. It is truly a David versus Goliath struggle. People have rallied to their cause and are assisting them in many ways, especially the welcome that refugees have received here in Ireland. I agree with the sentiments expressed by Senator Boyhan in particular in terms of that solidarity and how we move forward in welcoming refugees from Ukraine and indeed from wherever they happen to come to make Ireland their home.

The people of Ukraine are entitled to fight for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of their country. They are entitled to the support for their fight against the Russians, which the people of Ireland and the Irish Government rightly support. Sinn Féin also supports the extension of the sanctions against Russia and welcomes the most recent decision by the EU to block most Russian sea-borne oil imports by the end of 2022. Two thirds of Russian oil arrives into the EU by sea. This sanction will cut off a huge source of finance to the Russian war machine. We also welcome the pledge by Poland and Germany to end pipeline oil imports from Russia. I also welcome the news that Russia's largest bank, Sherbank, is to be removed from the SWIFT payment system, which allows the rapid transfer of money across borders. Vladimir Putin needs to continue to feel the world's anger at his immoral and illegal invasion of Ukraine. This is best expressed in the help that is being given to the armed forces opposing the occupation, in the sanctions that are being taken and in the worldwide condemnation and isolation of Russia on the international stage.

If the Russian Government, by its actions, puts itself beyond the world consensus on how difficult matters are to be resolved through tried and trusted diplomatic channels, then it must feel collective pressure. It must be collective pressure, not with the purpose of prolonging the conflict but, on the contrary, to end the conflict as soon as possible through a process of credible negotiations. These negotiations must bring peace and the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity while recognising and protecting Russia's territorial integrity.

There are many immediate consequences for governments across Europe that are trying to manage the fallout from the war. All efforts need to be employed to ensure that the predictable collateral damage is minimised. At home, the Government must continue its assistance to Ukrainian refugees. The EU must continue its support to Moldova and Romania. Russia's decision to blockade supplies of wheat and grain from leaving Ukrainian ports will lead to devastating consequences for those poorer countries dependent on Ukraine and Russia for food supplies. Failure to act will result in a humanitarian catastrophe for parts of Africa and the Middle East, leading to unprecedented levels of famine, forced migration and political instability in the region.

The one big lesson in this war that everyone needs to take on board is that militarism in whatever guise has no place in the modern world. The fact that diplomacy has failed the people of Ukraine and the people of Russia is not an argument against it. It is certainly not an argument for people in this State to raise questions about the neutrality of this State.

At yesterday's Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence, we heard from the Ukrainian ambassador and President Zelenskyy’s chief of staff. I asked him how Ireland could assist through our position on the UN Security Council. He lauded our record of peacebuilding, negotiation and conflict resolution and encouraged us to lean in to those efforts further as we move ahead.

The Russian invasion is totally unjustified. The military tactics used by Russian troops are cruel, excessive and uncivilised. The Russian Government must accept that its military aims are not achievable. It needs to end its military campaign and sue for peace immediately.