There are no plans to expel Russian Ambassador Yury Filatov from Ireland, the Foreign Minister said yesterday.
But Simon Coveney indicated he is “willing to go further” and expel more Kremlin diplomats. The follows Russia imposing a travel ban on 52 Irish politicians this week including Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Tanaiste Leo Varadkar.
Mr Filatov was summoned to the Department of Foreign Affairs earlier this week but Mr Coveney dismissed calls for him to be given the boot, arguing that diplomatic channels should be kept open. He said: “Wars end because people talk to each other.
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“Keeping diplomatic channels open, even when you fundamentally disagree with what they’re doing and the legality of what they’re doing, is important.
“We’ve already made a decision to ask for people to leave. But we’re not going to have a knee-jerk reaction to what’s happened this week.”
When asked if he knew what all employees in the Russian Embassy on Dublin’s Orwell Road worked as, Mr Coveney said he has “information that other people don’t have access to”.
The Fine Gael Ard Fheis will debate if the triple lock system for military action should be abandoned. It means for Irish troops to be deployed, approval from the Government, Dail and UN is required.
Backing the idea, Mr Coveney said the move would be a “sensible change”.
He added: “A lot of Irish people will be very uncomfortable with somebody making a decision in the Kremlin, to frustrate a UN mandate would essentially be able to veto if Ireland could participate in a peacekeeping mission or a post-conflict management situation or peace intervention.”
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