Ireland wants further sanctions against Russia after ‘barbaric crimes’ - Taoiseach

Ireland wants to see further sanctions against Russia in the wake of “appalling and barbaric crimes” committed by its troops, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has accused Russia of war crimes after reports of atrocities near Kyiv, including in the town of Bucha.

Mr Martin said the war is having an economic impact on Ireland and Europe and it has exacerbated the cost of living crisis.

However, he said Ireland supports further sanctions against Russia.

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He referred to the incident in Bucha which, he said, saw “innocent civilians murdered with their hands tied behind their backs”.

“This war is having an [ECONOMIC]impact but [WE]cannot be blind in the first instance to the appalling human trauma and death that is being visited upon the people of Ukraine.”

Mr Martin was speaking to the media as he visited Workdays’ new European Headquarters in Dublin, to welcome the announcement of 1,000 new tech jobs at the firm.

He said “every concievable pressure” has to be put on Russia “to stop this war, stop this attack on humanity”.

Mr Martin said Europe, the US and Canada have brought in “the most unprecedented and severe sanctions ever witnessed”.

He said Ireland will consult with European Union colleagues on the latest atrocities in Ukraine, describing it as “the slaughter of civilians which I condemn in the strongest possible terms”.

Asked if new measures could include the expulsion of the Russian ambassador Yury Filatov, Mr Martin said: “I rule nothing out in terms of how we respond but I think Europe is repulsed by this.”

He added that there is no justification for the war and said it has put Russia and its president Vladimir Putin “beyond the pale”.