Taoiseach Micheál Martin has replied to proposals to shutter the Russian Embassy in Ireland after he and over 50 other Irish lawmakers were banned from Russia.
The statement was made by the Kremlin on Wednesday. Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe, and a number of bureaucrats are among those named.
Following the announcement, several TDs have called for the Russian Embassy to be closed.
Fine Gael TD Neale Richmond was one of those who suggested the possibility, and he posed the subject to the Taoiseach this afternoon.
“It’s just another act from a terrorist regime that’s wreaking havoc on our continent,” he added.
“Isn’t it finally time to close the Russian Embassy in my own constituency, remove their ambassador, and cut off this relentless stream of misinformation, distortion, and assault from these so-called diplomatic figures?”
Mr. Martin stated that it was a new phenomenon and that the government would investigate the implications.
He did, however, emphasise the significance of diplomacy by saying that diplomatic channels are always a last resort.
Mr. Varadkar shared this attitude, saying that this is not the time to close the embassy.
“This is the moment to keep calm.” “We have already placed sanctions on Russian politicians, leaders, and businesspeople in the past, and they are now putting sanctions on Irish citizens,” Mr. Varadkar stated.
“We have maintained diplomatic contacts throughout.” “Even countries at war with one another have diplomatic contacts, so I believe we should tread carefully in this area.”
The Kremlin issued the following statement: “In response to the Irish government’s anti-Russian stance, which unconditionally supports the unilateral restrictive measures introduced by the European Union against Russian citizens in an attempt to isolate our country internationally, a decision was made to include 52 key representatives of the Irish leadership and politicians on the Russian “stop list.”
“Among those banned from entering the Russian Federation are Prime Minister Martin, his deputy L. Varadkar, Chairman of the [Dáil] (lower house of parliament) S. Fearghal, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defence, S. Coveney, Minister of Justice H. McEntee, Minister of Finance P. Donohoe, and a number of senators and deputies of the lower house of parliament.”
Simon Coveney said Ireland will make “no apology” for being “on the side of international law, the UN Charter, the side of Ukraine, and the right side of history.”
“Russia should cease its unlawful assault, stop killing innocent civilians, and stop shelling infrastructure,” he continued.
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