Ireland to keep sanctioning Russia over ‘brutal’ Ukraine invasion

(Brian Lawless/PA)

Ireland will continue imposing sanctions on Russia over the invasion of Ukraine.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin chaired a ministerial meeting on Thursday afternoon to discuss the latest situation.

All ministers present reiterated their full solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

Micheal Martin (Brian Lawless/PA)

They also reportedly condemned the “brutal invasion” and called on Russia to “withdraw immediately without further needless loss of life and devastation”.

In view of the situation being “very volatile” with “outcomes hard to predict”, ministers agreed to develop a range of possible scenarios to inform policy consideration.

Ministers also agreed that Ireland will continue to work as part of the international community, particularly through the European Union and United Nations, to “bring maximum pressure to bear on Russia and to support the Ukrainian people”.

They also pledged to continue to impose economic sanctions on Moscow as part of the most severe set of sanctions imposed by the EU and other international partners. 

Departments and agencies are to work together to prepare for the possibility of significant numbers of Ukrainian refugees being offered protection in Ireland.

Arrangements are also to be made to co-ordinate offers of practical assistance across the country.

Meanwhile, the EU has agreed to activate the bloc's Temporary Protection Directive for the first time.

The decision was unanimously agreed upon by EU justice ministers.

It facilitates all refugees fleeing Ukraine to come to all 27 member states and be fully protected and supported, said Simon Coveney.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has forced more than a million people to flee the war in just a week.

It almost matches the number of people who sought refuge in Europe in a whole year during the 2015 migration crisis.