MEP Wallace says Russia has genuine security concerns

IRISH members of the European Parliament differed sharply on Russia's invasion of Ukraine at a briefing in Strasbourg.

European Parliament Left group members Mick Wallace and Clare Daly again defended their decision to vote against a parliament resolution condemning the invasion while Fianna Fail MEPs Billy Kelleher and Barry Kilroy backed a debate on neutrality in Ireland.

The press briefing took place shortly before Estonia Prime Minister Kaja Kallas addressed the parliament and warned that Russia does not keep to international agreements it enters into.

Mr Wallace and Ms Daly said they voted against the resolution because of its references to military aid and Nato.

Mr Wallace, a former TD for Wexford, told Irish media: “There won't be peace in the region until there's an acceptance that Russia does have genuine security concerns about the idea of Ukraine going into Nato, the same as the Americans had in '61 in Cuba.”

The Ireland South MEP added: “If the Canadians or the Mexicans done a deal today with Russia or China and said we're free to join any alliance we want, do you think the Americans would settle for it? They would in their nuts. And they'd be right. It'd be too close to them.”

He was accompanied at the briefing by Dublin MEP Clare Daly who said additional military aid for Ukraine would be counterproductive.

Ms Daly said: “In our experience and in the experience of every war, piling in more weaponry just prolongs it... Is Ireland so suckered into European groupthink that we have to go along with the pack?”

The two MEPs both said it was “nonsense” of FG MEP Sean Kelly to suggest that the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania should fear a Russian invasion.

A separate briefing later the same morning was attended by Ireland South MEP Billy Kelleher, who along with his Fianna Fail colleague Senator Billy Dooley, had been in Ukraine a couple of days earlier.

When Mr Kelleher was asked about Ireland taking in tens of thousands of refugees when housing is already in short supply, he replied: “It's essential, I believe, and the right thing from a moral point of view as well that we show solidarity with people who are fleeing from war and oppression.”

On Ireland's neutrality, he remarked: “What we have to do is respond to the new realities as circumstances change.” He said the country needed “calm and rational debate” on the issue.

Mr Andrews joined the briefing remotely and agreed with Taoiseach Micheal Martin's suggestion that a Citizens' Assembly could examine neutrality.

The Dublin MEP said: “If Estonia is attacked would we come to their aid? Or if we're attacked, would we expect other EU member states to come to our aid? I frankly think the answers to those questions is yes.”

Mr Andrews said the commission report on the Irish defence forces states we're “defenceless” and marrying that with the “new threats” means the “time for a debate on [Irish neutrality and EU common defence] is quite urgent”. Mr Andrews and Mr Kelleher are both members of the Renew Europe group in the European Parliament.

A total of 637 MEPs voted in favour of the resolution condemning Russian aggression, 13 voted against and 26 abstained.

Speaking in the parliament, Ms Kallas said disarmament and limiting defence by agreement with Russia will not work because Russia breaks agreements.

The Estonia Prime Minister said: “It actually means we are making ourselves weaker because the other side is not going to follow those agreements. And we should not do that.”

Ms Kallas said Nato expanding and gaining new members was not “provoking Russia”. “Every country has the right to decide which union it is more allied with, if it wants to be.”

She added: “It's not up to any other country to say that 'you can't be that'. I remind you, Nato is a defence alliance, it's not attacking anybody, it's meant to be there for defending the countries that are in this alliance.”

The Estonia Prime Minister said proceeds of Russian assets seized as a result of sanctions should be used to build up Ukraine again.

“For every bullet that they fire, for every building that they destroy, they're going to pay for this, they're going to build this from their own money, it's coming from their pockets.”