Dáil Statement by the Tánaiste on the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine

Check against delivery

I would like to thank you for inviting me to participate in this important debate as we mark the second anniversary of Russia’s unprovoked, illegal, full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Over the past twenty-four months, indescribable suffering has been inflicted upon the people of Ukraine. Millions have been forced to flee their homes, thousands have been killed and thousands more, including children, have been kidnapped, tortured or arbitrarily imprisoned by Russian forces. Villages, towns and even entire cities have been completely destroyed in the fighting, which continues on a daily basis, unabated.

Two years on, tragically, it seems that we are no closer to peace. President Putin has shown no sign of wanting to end this war. Through his words and actions, he has made it abundantly clear that he has no intention of negotiating in good faith and clings to his baseless imperialist claims on sovereign Ukrainian territory.

Ukraine faces overwhelming challenges. Daily drone and missile strikes against Kyiv and other major cities and ports, have intensified since December. Russian bombardments are indiscriminate, and do not distinguish between military targets and civilian infrastructure. Their sole objective is to inflict maximum damage and break the spirit of the Ukrainian people.

And yet, Ukraine fights on.

In marking this grim anniversary, we pay tribute to the heroism of the Ukrainian people - ordinary civilians who have persevered with immense courage and resolve to continue their everyday lives and keep their country running, despite the severe challenges they face.

I saw this first hand when I visited Kyiv in October last year, along with other EU Foreign Ministers.

Russia is counting on us growing tired, and of becoming distracted by other priorities.

But they will be disappointed.

Ireland’s support for the people and government of Ukraine is steadfast. We support Ukraine because it is the right thing to do. But we also support Ukraine because, if Russia is allowed to prevail, there will be profound consequences for all of Europe. Russia’s actions represent a threat to our collective European security and the values which have always underpinned Ireland and EU foreign policy.

We have seen how Russia’s senseless war has also had impacts beyond Europe.

By invading a neighbouring country, a fellow UN Member State, and blatantly disregarding the UN Charter, Russia is calling into question the fundamental principles that have been the foundation of the rules-based multilateral order.

This represents a threat to global peace and security, and risks emboldening other States who may decide that might is better than right, and that borders can be changed by force.

Russia’s war has also impacted global economic stability. Some estimates suggest that the damage to the global economy could be as high as $1 trillion. As a globalised, export based economy, Ireland is particularly vulnerable to fluctuations in international trade. Our prosperity has been built on cooperation between states. Recent years have unfortunately seen a resurgence in nationalist ideologies that see relations between states as a zero-sum game.

As Ukraine withstands constant Russian bombardment, it is our responsibility, as a democracy, to stand with them. In defending their nation, Ukrainians are also defending the universal principles which underpin our multilateral system: the rights of all people to live peacefully, within their own borders, and according to their own values and choices.

This is why Ireland, together with the European Union and its Member States, have mobilised unprecedented levels of support for Ukraine over the past 18 months. Collectively, the EU has provided approximately €88 billion in financial, humanitarian, emergency, budgetary and military support.

Earlier this month, the EU again demonstrated its firm commitment to continuing to support Ukraine by agreeing on a new €50 billion financial assistance package. The “Ukraine Facility” will provide stable and predictable funding, and will allow Ukraine to continue to pay wages and pensions, maintain essential public services, ensure macroeconomic stability and restore critical infrastructure destroyed by Russia.

In parallel with our support for Ukraine, Ireland and our EU partners are determined to hold Russia to account for its actions.

The targeted sanctions adopted in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine are the most expansive and hard-hitting in EU history. Since February 2022, the EU has introduced measures targeting the military, financial, energy, technology, transport and media sectors of the Russian economy.

The EU has also introduced sanctions targeting those responsible for supporting, financing or implementing actions undermining the territorial integrity of Ukraine. Almost 2,000 individuals and entities are now subject to travel bans and asset freeze measures.

Over the past year, the EU has been working with third countries to stop battlefield goods and technology reaching Russia and combat circumvention of sanctions. We support these efforts, including the work of the EU Sanctions Envoy, David O’Sullivan in his outreach with third countries. These sanctions are an integral part of Europe’s response to Russia’s illegal aggression in Ukraine. They are having a deep and negative impact on Russia’s economic and military capacity, impeding its ability to pay for its war on Ukraine and to access advanced technology and military goods. This pressure must be maintained.

I welcome the progress made at EU level on using the extraordinary revenue generated from immobilised Russian sovereign assets to support Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction. This has been a carefully thought through process. It has been co-ordinated with international partners and consideration has been given to the complex legal and economic questions involved – particularly on the potential impact action in this area could have on the financial stability and the international role of the Euro.

The EU wide agreement of recent weeks will provide the necessary basis to make revenue generated from Russian sovereign assets available. I look forward to future discussions on how this revenue could be channelled to support the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine.

In addition to action at EU level, we have also provided unprecedented bilateral support to Ukraine.

Ireland’s financial support to Ukraine since February 2022 includes over €90 million in stabilisation and humanitarian support. Humanitarian assistance has focused on those most vulnerable and hard to reach, such as women & children, displaced persons, and those closest to the conflict lines. It targets critical needs, including provision of food, safe drinking water, cash assistance and the construction of prefabricated homes.

The Irish people have demonstrated compassion and support for Ukraine’s struggle. Our greatest act of solidarity with Ukraine has been the warm welcome we have given those fleeing Russian violence and persecution. Almost 105,000 Ukrainians have sought sanctuary in Ireland, amounting to some 2% of our population, and putting us in the top 10 EU host countries in both absolute terms and per capita. They have integrated well and I have no doubt that in time they will play a crucial role in rebuilding their country, when it is once again safe to do so. I wish to pay special tribute to all those who have opened their hearts, their homes and their communities to a people in need.

The government has repeatedly set out Ireland’s full support for Ukraine and for its right to defend this attack on its sovereignty and territorial integrity, in line with Article 51 of the UN Charter.

Ireland is working closely with our EU partners to provide support to Ukraine through the European Peace Facility. To date our commitment stands at some €122 million, with this funding directed towards non-lethal military support, including the supply of items such as food, fuel, medical, and personal protective equipment.

Ceann Comhairle,

50 years ago, Ireland benefitted from the EU’s very first enlargement. The last half-century of EU membership has transformed our economy and society, and amplified our global influence. We believe every European country deserves the same opportunity, providing they meet the necessary criteria for membership.

The people of Ukraine have proven time and again that they value the fundamental rights of freedom and democracy, and are prepared to fight for them. The decision by the European Council in December to open accession negotiations with Ukraine recognises the significant progress made in implementing EU reforms in such extraordinary circumstances. It offers the prospect of a brighter future for the Ukrainian people. Ireland is committed to supporting Ukraine as it progresses along its European path. I have no doubt that Ukraine will become a member of our European family.

EU enlargement has become an even more strategic issue following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The invasion has highlighted the clear need for continuing, ever-closer cooperation between the EU and our partners in the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership regions. The question of EU enlargement is no longer “if”, but “when and how”?

At each previous wave of enlargement, there were those who said it would weaken our Union. And at each previous wave of enlargement, they were proven wrong. I am confident that the next waves of enlargement will also strengthen our Union, and our place in the world.

Ceann Comhairle,

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has had a fundamental impact on European security. Like all of our friends and partners in Europe, Ireland finds itself in an increasingly contested, dynamic and volatile international security environment.

In response to the threat to Europe’s energy security, the EU is ramping up plans for renewable energy, the diversification of gas supply and efforts to reduce demand for Russian fossil fuels.

With deliberate damage caused to pipelines, energy infrastructure has also come under threat. Ireland is supportive of calls at a European level to develop effective measures to strengthen the resilience and ensure the security of critical infrastructure.

Russian state actors and aligned criminal groups operating from within the Russian territory have all been engaged in malicious cyber activity targeting critical infrastructure and democratic institutions in Europe.

We see a similar pattern as regards disinformation, where the Kremlin and other aligned actors have – in a systematic way – are spreading a distorted and false version of history and deliberately misrepresenting their heinous activities during this conflict.

Given this increasingly challenging security environment, the government is committed to broadening and deepening Ireland’s international security engagement as well as our domestic efforts to ensure the security of our country.

While there are no plans to alter our policy of military neutrality, it is incumbent on us to take our own security and our responsibility towards our like-minded partners more seriously than ever before.

Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has disrupted global food and energy markets – it has sent shockwaves around the world, affecting everyone.

Even under attack, Ukraine manages to safeguard its exports and contribute to global food security in spite of Russian blockades and missiles and unilateral pull out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. With the ‘Solidarity Lanes’ and the Black Sea Corridor, the EU and Ukraine are keeping global food prices stable.

An under-reported, but no less shocking aspect of Russia’s aggression is the unprecedented ecological damage we are seeing in Ukraine. The destruction of the Kakhovka dam resulted in catastrophic flooding which submerged thousands of hectares of land, claiming many lives, displacing thousands, preventing access to drinking water and irrigation systems and polluting the Black Sea.

The nuclear safety and security situation in Ukraine remains a very deep concern for Ireland. Russia’s actions significantly raise the risk of a nuclear accident or incident, which could endanger the Ukrainian population, the region and the international community.

Russia’s irresponsible and dangerous behaviour continues to violate all internationally agreed nuclear safety and security provisions, which apply in all circumstances – including armed conflict. I met with Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency at the Foreign Affairs Council on Monday and want to commend the IAEA for its superb work in Zaporizhzhia and elsewhere in Ukraine, in incredibly challenging circumstances.

Ireland strongly condemns Russia’s use of nuclear threats and rhetoric in its war of aggression against Ukraine.

Ukraine is now one of the most mined and weapons contaminated countries in the world. Almost one third of Ukrainian land is now affected by landmines and other ordnance. Ukrainian authorities have identified mine clearance and demining as an important area where long-term support will be required.

Ireland is in the process of providing two mine-flails, and associated training, to Ukraine and we anticipate that our funding through the European Peace Facility will also be increasingly directed towards these activities going forward.

In addition, Ireland is providing training support to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, in cooperation with our fellow EU Member States, through the EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine.

In line with Government Decisions of last February and July, Defence Forces personnel have to date provided training to 355 members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in demining, combat casualty care, and drill instruction.

Ireland is also strongly supportive of the work carried out by the EU Advisory Mission in Ukraine. This important mission is providing invaluable assistance to Ukraine in the investigation of war crimes as well as in wider civilian security sector reform. There are currently eight senior Irish civilian experts, including the Deputy Head of Mission, deployed with the mission.

In sum therefore, let me reiterate once again, that while Ireland is militarily neutral, we are not politically neutral in the face of Russia's unprovoked aggression against Ukraine.

We will continue to provide political and practical support – including non-lethal military support through the European Peace Facility and the EU Military Assistance Mission – to Ukraine for as long as it takes.

Ceann Comhairle,

It would be remiss of me not to refer here today the shocking news of the death in a Russian penal colony of opposition activist Alexei Navalny on 16th February. Mr. Navalny was a fearless champion of democracy and freedom of speech in Russia, for which he paid the ultimate price. Along with other EU Foreign Ministers, I met with his wife, Yulia Navalnya, in Brussels on Monday and I want to salute her extraordinary courage. Time and again, we have seen how an increase in internal repression in Russia is reflected in external aggression.

In the two years since the full-scale invasion, we have witnessed numerous reports of atrocities. Previously unfamiliar towns and cities such as Bucha and Kherson have become etched into the consciousness of the Irish public.

Ireland has been active in numerous initiatives to promote accountability for violations of international law, including international crimes, arising out of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Ireland was one of 43 states to refer the situation in Ukraine to the International Criminal Court. This enabled the Prosecutor to immediately begin his investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Ireland’s support for the ICC goes beyond mere words. We believe that an adequately resourced Court is essential for ending impunity everywhere. That is why shortly after the full scale Russian invasion, we made a voluntary contribution of €3 million to the Court, including €1 million to the Office of the Prosecutor for the benefit of all situations before the Court, including Ukraine.

Ireland is one of 40 states that are members of the Core Group for a Special Tribunal on the Crime of Aggression. This group is actively discussing how to overcome the complex practical and legal issues needed to prosecute those senior Russian officials who are responsible for what the Nuremberg Tribunal described as the “supreme international crime”.

As I have said, the full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, in flagrant breach of the UN Charter and international law, has presented serious challenges to the international rules based order.

There are consequences for all States large and small, when a powerful country so flagrantly breaches the UN Charter and violates international law.

Ireland takes our responsibilities as part of the international community seriously. We have been to the forefront of international efforts to support Ukraine and hold Russia to account at the UN General Assembly, the Security Council, the Human Rights Council, the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Our response to Russia’s aggression will act as a message to others who might seek to change international borders through the use of force.

Imperial, colonial wars belong to the past.

No one wants peace more than Ukraine, while Russia has shown no willingness to put an end to the war.

Even under permanent drone and missile attacks, Ukrainians remain resilient and continue to rebuild, reform and invest in their future.

Ireland is a firm supporter of President Zelenskyy’s ‘Peace Formula’, and we are active in several of the areas that it covers, including food security, restoration of justice and nuclear safety. We believe that it is for Ukraine to decide the conditions under which it should engage in peace negotiations. It has earned that right.

Ireland and the EU are working to build support among international partners for a just and sustainable peace in Ukraine. We welcome that there are now some 80 countries engaged on the Peace Formula.

Any peace process and end to Russia’s war in Ukraine must have justice and accountability at its heart.

Ceann Comhairle,

As we reflect on the events of the past two years, it is clear that Russia has consistently failed in its objectives. Kyiv was not captured in three days as Putin had predicted, or within weeks as many expected; Ukraine was not cut off from the Black Sea; attacks on civilian infrastructure in winter did not force the government to surrender; large parts of the country remain free from Russian occupation; and economic activity remains remarkably resilient.

Rather than ‘curbing NATO expansion,’ Putin’s actions in Ukraine have led to an enlargement of the alliance. The European Union has responded with unity and resolve, in lockstep with its American and other G7 partners.

The latest large scale Russian offensives, particularly against the embattled city of Adiivka, are not a sign of Russian strength, but a signal of desperation. President Putin has not had a single military victory of any notable significance since the capture of Bakhmut last May. As the Russian Presidential elections approach this March, Putin is desperate to present a victory to his people, regardless of the unconscionable number of lives he will sacrifice to achieve it.

Russia’s greatest hope for victory relies upon the erroneous belief that it can outlast our support for Ukraine. Putin wants to divide us, to make us believe that Ukraine is beyond saving and that a Russian victory would be preferable to a lengthy stalemate.

We will not give into Russian propaganda and the idea of ‘Ukraine fatigue’. Listening to President Zelenskyy address the Munich Security Conference over the weekend, the importance of this - of consistency, of seriousness, of a common purpose – can not be overstated.

We must stand united in our opposition to unwarranted violence against a sovereign nation, both for Ukraine’s sake, and for our own: who would help us, if we refuse to help another?