Ireland correct to stand with UK
Russia sanctions
Yury Filatov, Russia’s ambassador to Ireland, speaking at the Russian embassy in Orwell Road, Dublin, on Friday. Photograph: Brenda Fitzsimons
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was right to express solidarity with the United Kingdom in the face of the recent chemical weapons attack which almost certainly originated from Russia. The unambiguous support for the stand taken by the British government in response to the outrageous attack launched on their territory was the least a good neighbour should do in the circumstances.
The question for the Government in Dublin now is whether to go beyond verbal support and expel some of the personnel based at the Russian embassy in Dublin. The Government should not allow itself to be intimidated by the threat from Russian ambassador to Ireland, Yury Filatov, that any expulsion of diplomats from Ireland would be treated as an “unfriendly action”.