Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would like to thank the House for inviting me to participate in today’s timely debate marking the second anniversary of Russia’s illegal and unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine. For more than 700 days, Ukraine has been exercising its inherent right to self-defence against Russian aggression in accordance with international law, including the UN Charter. The people of Ukraine have endured unimaginable violence and suffering, and the destruction of their homes, livelihoods, and critical infrastructure at the hands of the Russian Federation. They continue to demonstrate remarkable resolve and determination in the face of such brutal adversity. We honour their heroic efforts to defend their country. Meanwhile, internal repression continues in Russia. Ireland was shocked and outraged by the death of Alexei Navalny in a Russian prison last week. Mr. Navalny was a fierce and outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin’s regime. For this he paid the ultimate price. His death raises further serious questions around respect for the rule of law and human rights in Russia.

Ukraine has been subjected to an armed aggression, the likes of which had not darkened our Continent in decades. The actions of the Russian Government in invading the territory of a sovereign, independent state are an affront to humanity, conducted with flagrant disregard for international law. Ireland is a militarily neutral country. However, as we have said many times, we are not politically or morally neutral in the face of violations of international law and war crimes; quite the opposite. Our position is informed by the principles that drive our foreign policy: support for international human rights law, for humanitarian law and for a rules-based international order. The rights of all countries to choose their own path. We are not neutral when Russia disregards all of these principles. We will continue to stand with Ukraine because Ukraine is fighting not only for its own survival but in defence of European security and European values. Putin underestimated not only the strength and resilience of the Ukrainian people, he underestimated the strength and unity of Europe. The response of the EU and its member states to Russia’s war of aggression has been unprecedented in its scope and its scale, encompassing political, diplomatic, humanitarian, military, and economic assistance.

Ireland has been a strong supporter of EU support for Ukraine, and has also been providing bilateral assistance. Since February 2022, we have committed €212 million in bilateral funding to Ukraine, comprising more than €90 million in stabilisation and humanitarian support, €80 million of which was provided by the Department of Foreign Affairs, and commitments of approximately €122 million of non-lethal military assistance under the European Peace Facility. Ireland has worked with the OECD, the World Bank and others to provide key supports to Ukraine to sustain critical government services and core government functions, and to support the Ukrainian authorities in their ambitious policy and reform agenda, linked to their goal of EU accession. Ireland has always been a strong supporter of enlargement. We believe that all countries that demonstrate a commitment to European values, and meet the criteria, have the right to join the EU. We welcome the European Council’s decision in December to open accession negotiations with Ukraine, which sends a strong message of hope for a brighter future. This is also recognition of the significant progress Ukraine has made in the reform agenda, even while it continues to defend itself against Russian aggression. We will continue to work with Ukraine as it moves forward on its European path.

As the war enters its third year, it continues to have devastating consequences for the Ukrainian people, and Ireland continues to focus on Ukraine’s significant and ongoing humanitarian needs. The UN estimates that at least 14.6 million people are in need with 8.5 million people targeted for immediate assistance. We are supporting the UN Refugee Agency to provide housing and shelter to internally displaced people. We support United Nations Fund for Population Activities, UNFPA, in its work to prioritise the protection of women and girls in emergency, including through prevention and response to sexual and gender-based violence. We support the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund, which is one of the quickest and most effective ways to directly support urgent and lifesaving humanitarian relief in Ukraine. The fund is a critically important channel to support in-country relief operations and ensures that urgently-needed humanitarian assistance reaches the people in Ukraine who need it most. We support both the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to reach communities in hard-to-access areas, and to provide immediate and lifesaving medical assistance to those most in need. These organisations provide direct financial, operational and technical support to the Ukrainian Red Cross Society.

We have also made significant contributions of in-kind assistance, primarily channelled through the EU civil protection mechanism. This includes vital donations such as electrical components that have supported the Ukrainian power network and ambulances and other medical supplies to the health service. This year, in line with our humanitarian assistance policy, we will continue to target those most vulnerable and hard to reach, such as women and children, displaced persons, those closest to the conflict lines and marginalised populations. At the same time, Irish people have welcomed 105,000 Ukrainians who have been forced to flee their homeland. This has not been without its challenges but it was, and is, the right thing to do. On this two-year anniversary, I would like to pay tribute also to those towns and communities across the country who have opened their hearts and homes to those displaced by this horrific war.

Ireland also recognises that the impacts of this war stretch far beyond Ukraine’s borders. It has compounded an already fragile global food security situation, with major implications for food and agricultural commodity prices. Russia continues to weaponise hunger by targeting Ukraine’s grain and port infrastructure, disrupting supplies. Meanwhile, Russia itself benefits from increased demand and higher prices for its own agricultural exports. Despite Russia’s cynical withdrawal from the Black Sea grain initiative, Ukraine has managed to continue to export its grain via the humanitarian corridor in the Black Sea and the EU solidarity lanes with neighbouring countries. Concerted action is needed to ensure that the grain sitting in Ukrainian silos can continue to be exported through Black Sea ports and onward to reach populations in desperate need. Ireland was pleased to support President Zelenskyy’s grain from Ukraine initiative. So far, the initiative has delivered more than 100,000 tonnes of grain to World Food Programme operations in sub-Saharan Africa, reaching communities and regions most in need. Ireland will continue to work closely with our partners in the EU to advocate for efforts that mitigate the wider consequences of the war in Ukraine, including on global food security.

Russian actions in Ukraine raise profound questions and challenges for the international community. If Russia is allowed to prevail, seizing territory it has no legal right to and causing untold death and destruction with impunity, this will simply embolden Russia, and give a green light for others to attempt the same. What happens in Ukraine reverberates across the globe. Such unprecedented challenges to the international rules-based order have necessarily been met with an unprecedented response. Ireland has been at the forefront of these efforts. Ireland continues to use its position and voice in international fora to support Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and right to live in peace. At the United Nations, Ireland along with our EU partners, has sponsored all six General Assembly resolutions in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, including successful action to exclude Russia from the Human Rights Council. During our term on the Security Council, Ireland delivered consistent, principled and powerful criticism of Russia’s war, and defence of the UN Charter and the people of Ukraine. At the Council of Europe, Ireland is a founding member of the register of damage, which will serve as a record of evidence and information on claims of damage, loss or injury caused by Russia’s actions in or against Ukraine. Ireland believes that this register will be an important first step towards establishing a compensation mechanism for Ukraine and its people. Ireland has also been supporting the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, OSCE, which is facing significant challenges as a result of Russian actions and obstructionism. We have used our voice at the OSCE to repeatedly draw attention to the situation in Ukraine and to call out Russian human rights abuses at home and abroad.This is part of our broader engagement with the international community on ensuring accountability for Russia’s actions, including support for the investigations of the ICC prosecutor in Ukraine and ongoing efforts towards establishment of a special tribunal for the crime of aggression. It is our firm belief that any peace process to end Russia’s war in Ukraine must have justice and accountability at its heart.

Finally, no one wants peace more than Ukraine. We are working systematically with our EU partners to consolidate and build support globally for a just and sustainable peace in Ukraine. Ireland supports President Zelenskyy’s "peace formula" and is active on many of the areas it covers. It is the only credible peace plan to have gained traction amongst the international community.

I can understand why some countries question why they should care about a conflict in Europe, but we must continue to make the case that the impact and implications of Russian aggression in Ukraine go far beyond Europe. This is a question of right over might, respect for international law and the universal principles which underpin the multilateral system. What happens today in Ukraine can tomorrow happen anywhere in the world.

Ireland, like the rest of the EU, reaped the benefits of the post-Second World War peace dividend. We believed that large-scale conflicts throughout Europe were a thing of the past and embraced the peace and prosperity that flourished since. However, peace on our continent was shattered by Putin’s actions. His revisionist interpretation of history seeks to re-establish an imperialist Russia that has no place in a modern world. We must now contend with the new reality that we face and take a clear position on what is likely to be the most defining episode in European history since the collapse of the Berlin wall.

This is why Ireland will continue to stand with Ukraine. It is quite simply the right thing to do and I have no doubt that history will be on our side.