Ireland strongly backs Ukraine’s aspirations to join the European Union at a time when it is defending its territory and self-determination from an “imperialist regime”, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has told the European Parliament.
In an address to mark 50 years since Ireland voted by referendum to join what was then the European Economic Community, Mr Martin said the EU had been “transformative” for Ireland and others.
“I strongly support Ukraine’s application for membership,” Mr Martin said, expressing hope that when EU national leaders meet later this month “it will be possible to send the people of Ukraine a clear and positive message” about their future in the union”.
He paid tribute to the “extraordinary courage and resolve of the people of Ukraine as they defend their country and their right to determine their own future”.
“The conflict is, at its most fundamental, about two utterly incompatible views of the world – autocratic and democratic. The new imperialism of Putin’s regime must not stand,” Mr Martin said. “In 2014 the people of Ukraine took to the streets to demand a democratic and European future. For this they suffered invasion and partition. We did too little to stand with the people of Ukraine then. We did too little to reject [Russian president Vladimir] Putin’s new imperialism and his demand to control other countries in a sphere of influence.”
He recalled Ireland’s experience of famine, condemning “the illegal appropriation” of agricultural production in Ukraine which he said risked causing starvation in vulnerable countries in the Middle East and Africa. “It is hard to comprehend that hunger itself has been weaponised,” Martin said.
In welcoming remarks, the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, said Ireland “plays a central role in shaping common policies”, and had moved from being a net recipient of funds to a net contributor due to its economic “success story”.
“This parliament is attached to multilingualism and with the Irish language now a fully fledged official EU language let me say in Irish: go raibh maith agat,” Ms Metsola said.
In comments on his arrival at the parliament, Mr Martin said the people of Ukraine were “defending against an imperialist regime that is wreaking havoc and destruction” and that “given Ireland’s history, that’s something that’s anathema to us”.
Russia’s investment in “extremist parties and disinformation in our countries” showed that for Mr Putin, “the destruction of the EU was a core policy objective”.
When Ireland held its referendum in 1972 to join the EEC, revolutionary leaders who had fought for independence played a key role in advocating accession, Mr Martin said, noting at the time that Ireland was the poorest country in Europe. “They did not see Europe as a threat to our sovereignty, but as an enabler of our sovereignty. They rejected the idea of nationalism as a narrow and defensive concept. Time and time again this decision has been vindicated.”
The Taoiseach told the speaker of Ukraine’s parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk, who was also in Strasbourg to address the European Parliament, that his country had Ireland’s unequivocal support and was “honoured” to host 34,000 Ukrainian refugees who sought safety.“We strongly support the toughest possible sanctions – and we do so understanding that this involves costs for us all,” he said.
Mr Stefanchuk appealed to the EU to grant Ukraine the status of an official membership candidate in the key meeting on June 24th, telling the gathered MEPs “I’m really grateful to you, to your peoples. I’m very grateful to all who fight together with Ukraine.”
