Biden: Ireland has 'taken a hit' for standing against Russia

The President said that Ireland is paying “a big price” for "supporting the strategy for supporting the sanctions". Picture: AP Photo/Patrick Semansky

Ireland has “taken a hit” for standing against Russia, US President Joe Biden has said.

Mr Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “murderous dictator” and a “pure thug” in a Speaker’s Lunch at Capitol Hill as part of St Patrick’s Day festivities.

In the absence of the Taoiseach, who is self-isolating in Blair House with Covid-19, Ireland’s Ambassador in the US Dan Mulhall attended the event.

“Everybody talks about Germany having stepped up and changed motions about being more leaning forward and they have, so has Ireland, a neutral country,” said Mr Biden.

“Ireland has stepped up and taken a hit for what they’re doing.” 

The President said that Ireland is paying “a big price” for "supporting the strategy for supporting the sanctions."

He added: “It’s not a minor contribution that they’re making to this effort, it’s significant."

However, President Biden also referred to the "big price" Russia is paying for its aggression against Ukraine and said Ireland is “part of the reason why the cost is going so high”.

He said that the US and Ireland are working together for the first time on the UN Security Council in a relationship which is “dynamic”.

Mr Biden told Ambassador Mulhall that Ireland is a “real actor” on the world stage.

Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald and MLA Michelle O’Neill attended the lunch in Capitol Hill.

Earlier, in a virtual meeting with the Taoiseach, Mr Biden commended the Irish people for taking in thousands of Ukrainian refugees, describing it as "amazing".