Ambassador hits out at Taoiseach for 'promoting an agenda' against Russia

Comments made by Micheál Martin in an interview with the Irish Examiner have been criticised, with Yuriy Filatov claiming they were a 'political propaganda exercise with certain aims'

Yuriy Filatov has strongly criticised comments made by Micheál Martin.

The Russian Ambassador to Ireland has hit out at the Taoiseach for "promoting an agenda" against Russia in order to justify a significant increase on defence and security spending.

Yuriy Filatov has strongly criticised comments made by Micheál Martin, claiming they were a "political propaganda exercise with certain aims".

In an interview with the Irish Examiner, Mr Martin warned of a threat to undersea cables off the coast of Ireland and highlighted an "existential fear" among other EU countries of a possible Russian advance.

Russia launched an illegal incursion into Ukraine almost three years ago that has so far seen more than 100,000 Ukrainians flee the war and move here, with millions more forced to move abroad including to neighbouring EU countries.

The Ambassador has now called on Mr Martin to clarify his remarks, claiming they are based on unsubstantiated anti-Russian "clichés".

"I would welcome some clarification, certainly, I am pretty sure it would be a difficult thing to do because there is nothing, we haven't made any hostile actions against the Baltic states over these years, even in the face of their own extremely anti-Russian behaviour."

He said bolstering defence and security is a "sovereign policy matter for the Irish Government," but he added: "Make your decisions, whatever they are, but please don't use Russia as a pretext for that, I don't think it's a good thing."

Asked about the relationship between Ireland and Russia, which has significantly deteriorated since the outset of the war in Ukraine, Mr Filatov said: "By nature I am an optimist, by profession I am a realist, but as long as the Irish Prime Minister [Taoiseach] is willing to listen to extreme Russophobes in Europe, well I am not that optimistic."

Separately, the Ambassador has failed to deny the existence of a Russian spy in the Oireachtas.

Last year it was reported that a member of Oireachtas, who was given the codename Colbalt, had been ensnared within a 'honeytrap' and has been used as a Russian spy within Ireland’s political system.

Asked about the existence of such a person, Mr Filatov said: "I don't know anything about this except what I have read in the papers, I don't know this type of individual, I was very surprised and curious about the whole thing."

However, he suggested that ulterior motives may have been at play, stating: "You have to judge it, why do these [reports] crop up at certain points in time, you have to look in whose interest is this? "