Clare politicians call for expulsion of Russian Ambassador to Ireland following Ukraine invasion

A sitting Clare TD, Senator and former Mayor of the county have called for the expulsion of the Russian Ambassador to Ireland.

Growing calls have been made across the political divide for Russian Ambassador to Ireland, Yury Filatov’s expulsion from the country. Thirty five Fianna Fáil TDs and Senators have demanded he leave following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine this week. So far, more than 120,000 people have fled Ukraine while 198 civilians are reported to have been killed in Kiev.

Sitting TD, Cathal Crowe (FF), Senator Timmy Dooley (FF) and Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) are among the politicians seeking Mr Filatov’s expulsion from Ireland.

In a letter to both the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin (FF) and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney (FG), Deputy Crowe stated, “It is my firm belief that, in solidarity with the people of Ukraine, the Russian Ambassador to Ireland, Mr. Yuriy Filatov should be expelled”.

He added, “The Russian government have brought war to Europe and suffering to Ukraine. Ambassador Filatov has thoughout the escalation of this crisis displayed incredible levels of arrogance and aggression but he has also lied to the Irish government and our citizenry. As a government back bencher I may be a very small fish in the vast ocean of geopolitics but I will use my voice and elected position to call out the actions of Russia and its political agents”.

Former Mayor of Clare, Cllr Colleran Molloy has also contacted the Taoiseach urging him to bring about the Ambassador’s departure. “As a non-neutral NATO member, we should have already taken those steps to expel the Ambassador,” the Quin native told The Clare Echo, “in my opinion the Government should have already acted on this”. She referenced the interview by RTÉ broadcaster David McCullagh with Mr Filatov as an example of “extraordinary journalism”.

Senior Cabinet figures are reported to be reluctant to such a move. On Friday evening, Minister Coveney stated, “Following consultations with my EU Foreign Minister Colleagues today, we have decided as a bloc not to expel Russian ambassadors. This and other possible diplomatic measures remain on the table.

Efforts should also be made to “convince Germany to agree to the removal of Russia from the SWIFT system,” Colleran Molloy maintained. SWIFT stands for the ‘Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications’. It is a messaging system used by almost all financial institutions across the world. Banks use the system to send and receive money transfer orders or information. It was developed in the 1970s and is a cornerstone of the international payments system, as it allows banks to communicate securely.

Speaking to The Clare Echo, Colleran Molloy commented, “I’m aghast that this man Vladimir Putin can think he will get away with this in the modern world where information is available to the common person who can just simply open up their phones. That is why they’ve already attempted to block down that level of communication in Russia, they have attempted to cut off people’s access to Facebook. My true hope is that the Russian people who are not fully informed of the reasons for the invasion, that they will open their minds, ears and eyes to what is going on. My only concern is their exposure to true news might be shut off”.

Senator Martin Conway (FG) has praised the lifting of visa requirements between Ukraine and Ireland by the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee (FG). This will support the swift exit of both the Ukrainian family members of Irish citizens, and the family members of people from Ukraine who are resident in Ireland. “Everything we can do should be done to help the people of Ukraine,” he stated.