Politics

Russia’s invasion will not stop at Ukraine and Europe must be defended - Taoiseach

Leo Varadkar says he does not believe Putin’s ambitions will stop at Ukraine

Russia’s invasion will not stop at Ukraine, Leo Varadkar says. Photograph: Cate McCurry/PA

Shauna Bowers
Thu Mar 7 2024 - 10:38

Russia’s invasion will not stop at Ukraine and Europe must be defended, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said.

Mr Varadkar was speaking at the European People’s Party (EPP) conference in Bucharest, Romania on Thursday. The EPP is an umbrella group of centre-right political parties, including Fine Gael.

In his speech to the congress, he said for more than two years, the world has “witnessed the brutal Russian assault on the people of Ukraine”.

“I do not believe that Putin’s ambitions will stop at Ukraine. This is our war too and it’s not just happening on Ukraine’s territory. It’s happening all around us, in our seas, and in the form of physical and cyber attacks,” he said.

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“As one of my forebears said, a Europe worth building is a Europe with defending.”

Mr Varadkar said this should be done by developing Pesco, a programme that seeks to raise co-operation on defence among participating EU Member States.

“The EPP’s message must be that we stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes. Our message to the Kremlin is that Russia cannot win this war and we will do more to help Ukraine in the coming months and years. That involves military assistance, finance, humanitarian and political support,” he said.

[ Ukraine conflict could escalate into full-scale war in Europe, says Russian officer ]

“The people in Ukraine are fighting, sacrificing their lives for European values. Fighting for democracy, liberty and the rule of law. The least we can do is provide them with the tools they need to defend their country and their homes – and progress EU accession negotiations as quickly as possible.”

Mr Varadkar reiterated his call for a ceasefire in Gaza, stating the EEP shares the “outrage of the Israeli people” over the Hamas attacks on October 7th.

“We have since then seen appalling violence inflicted by the Israeli Government on the people of Gaza. Palestinian civilians are not responsible for the crimes of Hamas and should not be subject to collective punishment,” he said.

“We need a ceasefire, so food and medicine can get into Gaza, and we need the immediate release of all of the hostages. We also need the European Union to engage in the fight for a permanent peace between Israel and Palestine and Arab countries.”

Mr Varadkar said as Europeans, they have a “duty” to bring the conflict to an end.

Shauna Bowers

Shauna Bowers

Shauna Bowers is a reporter for The Irish Times

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