Simon Coveney defends Ireland's neutrality despite stance on Ukrainian invasion

Ireland will likely pay around €10m for military assistance for the Ukrainian military to be used exclusively for the provision of non-lethal support

A military facility that was destroyed by recent shelling in the city of Brovary outside Kyiv on Tuesday. Photo: Genya Savilov/AFP via Getty Images

The Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has reiterated that Ireland is militarily neutral despite our response to the Ukraine crisis.

"Ireland is militarily neutral; that is, we are not a member of a military alliance," he said in the Dáil on Tuesday.

Tabling a motion condemning Russia and its invasion of its neighbour, Mr Coveney said: "The Dáil calls on Russia to withdraw its military immediately. This can be done at any moment. What has happened will not be forgotten, but we can still work towards peace and resolution. And that must always be our goal.

"We are not, and we will never be, politically neutral in the face of the bombardment of cities, the targeting of civilian infrastructure, attempts to lay siege to a city of three million men, women and children - people who have never asked for war and who wish only to live in a democratic, peaceful, stable and free country and make their own sovereign decisions about their foreign and security policy."

Mr Coveney hailed the dignity and heroism of ordinary Ukrainians and the leadership shown by President Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Kuleba.

In my 24 years in politics, I have never seen EU Member States as unified and as resolved as on the issue of Ukraine.

"EU leaders said in December that further military aggression by Russia against Ukraine would result in a massive cost for Russia. This is exactly what has happened.

"I am proud at the part that Ireland has played in this collective effort. We have been at the forefront of EU efforts and, indeed, sometimes ahead; taking a decision in principle to ban Russian aircraft from our airspace in advance of the collective EU agreement to do so, and calling early on for the exclusion of key Russian financial institutions and banks from SWIFT."

Mr Coveney said the news coming out of Russia since Thursday shows that these wide-ranging sanctions are having an "undeniable" effect.

"We are in ongoing contact with Irish companies to support them in mitigating some of the impacts on them and we will continue work at government level to ensure we are ready for any counter-measures that Russia might impose on the EU," he added.

Mr Coveney welcomed the statement of the International Criminal Court Prosecutor, Karim Khan, that he will open an investigation into the situation in Ukraine.

"He stated unambiguously last night that there is a reasonable basis to believe that both alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in Ukraine. Ireland, as always, will stand firmly and unambiguously behind the International Criminal Court and defend its independence and impartiality.

The use of indiscriminate and disproportionate weapons cannot be tolerated and is a clear violation of international humanitarian law.

Two days ago, the EU agreed a package of €500m in military assistance for the Ukrainian military through the European Peace Facility (EPF). Ireland will likely pay approximately €10 million, which the government claims will be used exclusively for the provision of non-lethal support.

The latter component will include supplies such as personal protective equipment, medical kits and fuel, all urgently needed. Two fellow EU Member States, Austria and Malta, have taken a similar approach. 

"Ireland has also led the response at UN level. After Russia vetoed a Security Council Resolution last Friday condemning the offensive against Ukraine, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities and urgent dialogue, Ireland moved quickly to ensure that an urgent session of the General Assembly was convened," Mr Coveney added.