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LAST UPDATE | 21 Feb 2022
TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN this evening condemned Russia’s move to recognise the independence of two regions of Ukraine.
In a statement this evening. Martin said: “Tonight’s announcement by President Putin recognising the separatist territories of Ukraine is a violation of international law, and breaches Ukrainian sovereignty.
“With our EU partners, we will stand in solidarity with Ukraine.”
Earlier today, Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said Ireland backs placing sanctions on Russia.
“Tonight’s announcement by President Putin recognising the separatist territories of Ukraine is a violation of international law, and breaches Ukrainian sovereignty.With our EU partners, we will stand in solidarity with Ukraine,” he said.
Coveney backed placing additional sanctions on Russia after Vladimir Putin recognised the independence of two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine.
He said that Ireland gives its full support to “Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders and its right to choose its own foreign and security policy path is unwavering”.
He described the decision by the Russian Federation to proceed with the recognition of the non-government controlled areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk as a breach of international law.
“[It] is a blatant violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, and marks a clear and unilateral breach of the Minsk agreements.Ireland supports a clear and strong EU response, including additional sanctions measures,” Coveney said.
The recognition of these regions will effectively put an end to an already shaky peace plan in the separatist conflict, which has rumbled on since 2014, after Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine, and has left more than 14,000 dead.
Russia could now move in troops to protect hundreds of thousands of residents in the regions who have been granted Russian passports, justifying an intervention as a defence of its citizens.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had convened his own National Security and Defence Council after Putin spoke, and also held calls with Macron and Scholz.
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This is a loophole that will never be filled in otherwise Lowry, Ahern and the extended Haughy family would be doing 10-15 for fraud.
@Trevor Hayden: Well the Gardai can investigate. It’s just that exTDs arent beholden to the watchdog. Fraud is fraud and can be investigated upon leaving office, regardless of the Journal or RTE say.
@Good Early: I’m sure Maurice McCabe would say different or could tell us a story or two about how politicians are treated by An Garda Siochana.
“Id imagine the line” Do you know who I am? ” has been rattled of a few times or” I’m close personal friends with Frances Fitzgerald ” in order to sweep their discrepancies under the carpet.
” You’ll be signing on in your local dole office on Monday ” I’ve had a few run ins with various politicians, you get used to their spiel.
@Trevor Hayden: haven’t mccabes allegations been found false
@Shawn O’Ceallaghan: Yes they have, he’s been set up. Procing you could not trust the authorities to take an issue regarding a politician seriously.
The untouchables!
We need a major clean out in the Dáil
@Genius 80s+: the electorate can do that with pen in the election booth, but the sword does sound more appealing
@Genius 80s+: with petrol and a rag
If they can hide their expenses paid by public money, anyone expecting them to fix this issue and bring meaningful accountability is living on another planet.
Useful and well orchestrate loop hole by the white collar criminals.
Our politics needs total reform. Our politicians are nothing more than conmen in suits.
How convenient
FFG will be mad to fix this ;-)
So how does this loophole explain why Heather Humphreys was never sanctioned over the outrageous John McNulty Seanad seat scandal, something Enda Kenny admitted happened during a live TV debate during the 2016 election. Or why Denis Naughten has avoided any responsibly for breaking ethics laws by passing on privileged information to an INM lobbyist, Eoghan Ó Neachtain. Who then passed it on to a FG financial donor and owner of Ireland media.
Our the Standards in Public Office will wasted time sanction a independent TD over his shirt colour and hipster dress style. The register of member interests is a joke with every few councillors even filling one in and those in the dail and seanad hiding their interests in wife/partners or children’s names.
Don’t blame a loophole for the state of Irish politics as no politician is accountable judging by the fact that Michael Lowry in back in government after topping the poll again. Even our justice system after a jury found him guilty decided that he had suffered enough. Don’t see the DPP appealing the leniency for fraud.
There is no standards, there are no ethics because no government would last three months. Its a cesspit built by haughty, filled by bertie and kept going by both Enda Kenny and Leo. Power corrupts and it has cost lives in our health service and undermined our constitution. we are all victims but too self involved in our own self interest to do anything about it.
@leartius: we live in a first world banana republic, its a joke and we vote for it every election they are laughing at us…..pure mugs we are.
Fix it
Anyone know of any politicians who have a daughter who would be interested in getting married to my son. He needs a house because he has been turned down for a morgtage again. Was told to rent & save for a yr or so. Then come back. He has saved the deposit but getting nowhere with the banks regarding the morgtage. So I think a politician’s daughter or niece, some relation will do as his wife until he gets his morgtage sorted out.
Its called covering your arse, what else would you expect from these crooks?
Mc Mafia wouldn’t of been so clever to have this covering there shenanigans !
Read about some of our TD being millionaires,The likes of Kenny Noonan and Howlin were top of the list.
With Kenny worth something around the 4 million Mark,Imagine if these buckos stayed on as teachers there is no way they would be millionaires.
Loose language… not all members of our Seanad are politicians.
How convenient but then again we let this happen all the time im sad to say..
The standards in public office will never improve with the current shower of gombeen politicians in there. Saw on Wikipedia the other day, Charlie Flanagan’s father, Oliver Flanagan, described as ” one of the cutest of cute hoors in the history of the dail”. I’d say the dail is full of idiots with no ability but trying their best to be “cute hoors”!
how many have off shore nest eggs
have your say