Barry Ward (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Ar dtús báire, cuirim fáilte roimh ár gcairde uasail ón Úcráin. I extend a very warm welcome to our friends from Ukraine. I congratulate them on making the journey because what we have learned from them over the past few days has been so important. As the Cathaoirleach knows, Senator Ahearn and I left Ireland to visit Ukraine on 4 May. It is a process getting to Ukraine at present. I learned a great deal on that trip. It was not my first time to visit Ukraine but I discovered a very much changed country, a much quieter country, and a much less vivacious country than the one I visited on a number of occasions.

As a small country, in the same way Ukraine is a small country relative to Russia, we have an emotional response to what we see happening in Ukraine and an emotional response when we see a larger country picking on a smaller one. That is natural. It was not until I got to Ukraine, however, that I saw the strength, depth, preparedness and determination of the Ukrainian people. It was not until I got there that I was convinced they can win this war. I believe the Ukrainian Members when they say this. I believe it will come to pass that Russia will be defeated in its campaign in Ukraine and will be repelled. I praise the generosity, bravery and steadfastness of the Ukrainian people in that regard.

Although most of us have that emotional reaction and most of us see what is happening for what it is, the terrible thing is there are still politicians who insist on peddling Kremlin propaganda, including Irish politicians, who just last week described the first 100 days of the war as 100 days of hysteria. They bring nothing but shame upon the polity of Ireland and we reject them. It does not require a great deal of insight to spot the aggressor and the aggressed. It is never Ukraine's fault that it has been invaded by a larger and more aggressive power. It is never Ukraine's fault that it is the victim in this war. It is not Ukraine's fault that its ports in the Black Sea have been blockaded and the food that sits in ships in ports such as Odessa is being taken away from communities in Africa and throughout the world, creating hunger and future famines by using food, as was said, as a weapon of war. That is not Ukraine's fault.

Let there be no mistake about whose fault it is. It is Russia's fault. It is Russia's manipulation and abuse of its power to use food as a war tool against countries that have nothing to do with the war. These are countries in Africa that have no ability to respond and where citizens will go hungry and die from famine as a result of this. That is no one's fault but Russia's. It is very important to state this is victim blaming in a way we would reject anywhere in Ireland. It is victim blaming in respect of Ukraine as well. The Ukrainians are the victims. They are the aggressed and not the people who need to account for it. I support Ukrainians and Ireland supports them. They have our full support in every respect we can give it.