Elaine Loughlin: Sinn Féin's soft stance on Russia is clearly on the record

A tougher stance from Sinn Féin on Russia has been welcomed, but the party cannot be offended if others try to poke into its recent past, writes Elaine Loughlin.

People protesting outside the Chinese Embassy in Dublin over the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Why has it taken a most brutal attack on the citizens of Ukraine for Sinn Féin to reflect on its “soft” stance on Russia?

The Tánaiste’s probing of Sinn Féin last week, which came as we witnessed the horror of bombings and tanks rolling across the Ukrainian border, was called out as a naked attempt at cheap political point-scoring.