Irish politicians on Russian travel ban list say it will not change stance on invasion

Russian ambassador Yury Filatov has been told that the Kremlin’s announcement that 52 Irish politicians have been banned from travelling to his country is “absolutely unacceptable”.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin described the Russian move as “a form of hybrid warfare”.

On Wednesday Russia’s foreign ministry said that it had put more than 50 Irish politicians and officials on a “stop list”, barring their entry to the country, with the list including Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe and Minister for Justice Helen McEntee.

Over the course of the day Mr Martin at one point questioned whether the list really existed but in a later statement the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed it had been given the names of the 52 citizens subject to the travel ban.

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“The Department will be informing the individuals concerned but will not be publishing the list,” it said before the names inevitably began to emerge on Thursday evening as individuals were told they had been included.

The Irish Times understands that Minister for European Affairs Thomas Byrne is among the politicians on the list while Fianna Fáil TD Seán Haughey and Senator Timmy Dooley both confirmed that they have been informed of their inclusion.

“I will continue to speak out against Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine,” said Mr Haughey in a Tweet. Mr Dooley described the list as “a disgraceful action of intimidation by a desperate dictator”.

Jim O’Callaghan confirmed he is also among the 52 saying: “I’m delighted that my support of Ukraine has been given such recognition.”

The inclusion of Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl had been confirmed in the original Russian statement but Fine Gael TD Neale Richmond - who has been vocal in calling for the expulsion of the Russian ambassador - said he had been listed too.

“Russia continues to bombard Ukraine as part of their bloody and illegal war of occupation. Ireland continues to stand by Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. This sanctions list is merely another desperate attempt by the Russian Government to distract from their heinous actions,” he said.

Labour leader Ivana Bacik and Jennifer Carroll MacNeill were among the other names to emerge on Thursday evening along with Senators Fiona O’Loughlin, Lorraine Clifford Lee and Paul Daly. It is understood that Paul McAuliffe and former minister for justice Charlie Flanagan both feature too.

Ms Bacik told the Irish Times that the travel ban list is “yet another reason why the government should act now to expel Ambassador Filatov”.

“It is outrageous to see the Russian government taking this action against democratically elected representatives of another State when it is Russia which has broken international law in invading Ukraine.”

Earlier, Mr Martin had said: “We will not be deflected from our stance and solidarity with the Ukrainian people, our opposition to an immoral and illegal war against the Ukrainian people”.

The department, meanwhile, said Mr Filatov was called in by senior officials on Thursday afternoon and “the Government’s firm objection to the unwarranted and unjustified travel ban imposed on Irish citizens was conveyed. Ireland’s position in respect of Russia’s illegal aggression against Ukraine was reiterated.”

Ireland has strongly backed European Union sanctions against Russia and has sent non-lethal military aid to Ukraine.

Speaking on a visit to Washington on Wednesday, Mr Coveney said Ireland had taken its stance to back Ukraine following the invasion of the country by Russian forces “on the basis of a respect for international law and the UN charter”.

Mr Coveney told The Irish Times: “We wish this war was not happening.

“We do not want to be picking a fight with Russia but we have to call out in truthful terms what we see and what the evidence backs up – aggression, likely war crimes and the destabilisation of peace on the continent of Europe by a deliberate invasion of a European country by Russia.”