"In national interest to back sanctions against Russia" - Pascal Donohoe

Foxhound38

According to the Times anyway.

Is it? Don't get me wrong, I don't agree with what Russia is doing in the Crimea - but couldn't this threaten our fuel security?

As for platitudes towards international law - again, I agree with the concept - but doesn't such platitudes ring a little hollow from an Irish State that allowed extraordinary rendition to be facilitated through Shannon Airport?

I'm not sure on this one tbh

Sir Arthur Daley

Foxhound38 wrote: »

but couldn't this threaten our fuel security?

What interest have they in our Bogs?

Foxhound38

WikiHow wrote: »

What interest have they in our Bogs?

What interest have we in their gas! :pac:

drunkmonkey

WikiHow wrote: »

What interest have they in our Bogs?

Shannon is controlled by the US Air Force, expect Putin to Nuke us first to stop any advancement of European or American military.

Hang Pascal for treason!

SEPT 23 1989

700 million euro of Irish exports bought by Russia per year and he wants that disrupted?

stick to having a stupid name Pascal

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo

I think we should do what we did during WW2. Talk out both sides of our mouth and pray to God we're left alone by everyone.

Anyone got a better idea? No? Thought so.

"Go US Russia, Go US Russia Go, Ireland loves you go!"

We can add China to the song too when our economy is more reliant on them.

"Go US Russia China, Go US Russia China Go, Ireland loves you go!"

Reekwind

The man has a point. I disagree with it but it's there.

To play devil's advocate: it's obviously in Ireland's interests that international law be strong enough to prevent large nations from bulling or invading small neighbours. Nobody needs to draw the comparison to Ireland's situation. There's also a more tangible value in being as closely aligned to the US as possible, or at least being seen to make supportive noises.

darkpagandeath

I wonder what the American multinationals/investment would think if we went soft on Russia.

Busted Flat.

darkpagandeath wrote: »

I wonder what the American multinationals/investment would think if we went soft on Russia.

They would have no problem, they have a soft deal here.

darkpagandeath

Busted Flat. wrote: »

They would have no problem, they have a soft deal here.

True but the American public can be fickle and boycott companies that deal with countries that are soft with their perceived enemy's.

sillyoulfool

Its a non issue, no meaningful sanctions are going to be imposed on Russia. Germany, The Netherlands , and the UK will see to that.

Eight Ball

darkpagandeath wrote: »

I wonder what the American multinationals/investment would think if we went soft on Russia.

Grow a pair. Who cares what they think.

jester77

sillyoulfool wrote: »

Its a non issue, no meaningful sanctions are going to be imposed on Russia, Germany, The Netherlands , and the UK will see to that.

Why would Germany and the Netherlands have sanctions imposed on them

WakeUp

“It is our duty, as well as being in our national interest, to uphold international law and support the measures being proposed at EU level to deal with the Russian intervention in the Crimea,” said Mr Donohoe.

Its Donohoes duty to protect the interests of Ireland not the EU. It is not in our interests to sanction Russia and if he genuinely believes what he is saying he is a twit.

oceanman

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo wrote: »

I think we should do what we did during WW2. Talk out both sides of our mouth and pray to God we're left alone by everyone.

Anyone got a better idea? No? Thought so.

"Go US Russia, Go US Russia Go, Ireland loves you go!"

We can add China to the song too when our economy is more reliant on them.

"Go US Russia China, Go US Russia China Go, Ireland loves you go!"

its a good thing we had the cop on to talk out both sides of our mouth as you put it during WW2

I am pie

jester77 wrote: »

Why would Germany and the Netherlands have sanctions imposed on them

They won't, the prevailing view is that they won't impose sanctions on Russia as they rely on Russian gas, the US would like to change that as they have new found shale reserves and want to start selling it into the EU instead of having Russia do it.

Manufactured nonsense.

Foxhound38

Eight Ball wrote: »

Grow a pair. Who cares what they think.

The Department of Finance and anyone else who wants the economy to recover, presumably.

As for international law - I agree that our position as a small nation behooves us to make the noises we are about upholding it, but do the government forget so quickly that the State actively assisted the US in breaching international law through their use of Shannon Airport, particularly for rendition flights?

We have little credibility to pontificate about the sanctity of international law IMO - and the US has even less

sparksfly

There was a conference in Dublin in February by the Irish Russia Business Association as part of the Dublin Festival of Russian Culture. Economist Constantin Gurdiev is chairman of the association, which promotes trade between the two countries. Minister for Enterprise Richard Bruton was a guest speaker.

Bruton's message from the conference was that Irish exporters could quadruple the business they are doing with Russian markets over the following two years, Irish exports to Russia grew from €370m (in 2010) to over €750m expected for 2014.

The experience is that once a company enters the Russian market, it has very strong “staying potential”, mutual trust is extremely important.
The inverse is also true, if it loses or damages foothold, it may not get it back.

Gobs1hte Donoghue will help to destroy this rapidly growing export trade "in the national interest".

Lenin Skynard

You'd want your umbrella handy when Paschal Donohoe starts talking about Russia.

sparksfly

darkpagandeath wrote: »

True but the American public can be fickle and boycott companies that deal with countries that are soft with their perceived enemy's.

The vast majority of the US public will know F all about the conflict and care even less.

fleet_admiral

is he the twat with the lisp? if so, I die a little each time i hear him speak

Fratton Fred

darkpagandeath wrote: »

I wonder what the American multinationals/investment would think if we went soft on Russia.

Their tax arrangements are of far more interest to them than Crimea.

cletus van damme

WakeUp wrote: »

“It is our duty, as well as being in our national interest, to uphold international law and support the measures being proposed at EU level to deal with the Russian intervention in the Crimea,” said Mr Donohoe.

Its Donohoes duty to protect the interests of Ireland not the EU. It is not in our interests to sanction Russia and if he genuinely believes what he is saying he is a twit.

i don't recall him bleating like a fool when the US was dancing over international law.
International law only applies to the enemies of the west.

keeponhurling

They entered a region of another country, where most people were happy to see them and consider themsevles Russian.

There have been other invasions (including Russia on Georgia, as well as numerious by the US) and there was less talk of sanctions.

It would seem a hypocritical of Ireland to back sanctions sometimes and not others. For example we currently don't have any sanctions on Israel.

cletus van damme

keeponhurling wrote: »

They entered a region of another country, where most people were happy to see them and consider themsevles Russian.

There have been other invasions (including Russia on Georgia, as well as numerious by the US) and there was less talk of sanctions.

It would seem a hypocritical of Ireland to back sanctions sometimes and not others. For example we currently don't have any sanctions on Israel.

spot on.
Interesting that very few media discuss EU/US motivation in Ukraine - it's NATO encircling Russia , plain and simple. they couldn't give a hoot about Ukrainians.

Russia is right to take a stand on the expansion of Nato so close to it's boarders and further justified given the ethnic identity of crimea.

keeponhurling

In the Irish Times there is an article by Eamon McCann

If we have to pick a side over Crimea, let it be Russia
Just as a counterweight to what Pascal has been saying
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/if-we-have-to-pick-a-side-over-crimea-let-it-be-russia-1.1731105

mikom

Foxhound38 wrote: »

According to the Times anyway.

Is it? Don't get me wrong, I don't agree with what Russia is doing in the Crimea - but couldn't this threaten our fuel security?

As for platitudes towards international law - again, I agree with the concept - but doesn't such platitudes ring a little hollow from an Irish State that allowed extraordinary rendition to be facilitated through Shannon Airport?

I'm not sure on this one tbh

Good for you Pwascal. Well someone had the guts to stand up to them at last.

ebbsy

Russians re not too bad to be honest. A little bit heavy handed with the country taking over lark, but not the worst by any means.

goose2005

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

700 million euro of Irish exports bought by Russia per year and he wants that disrupted?

stick to having a stupid name Pascal

I want it disrupted too, we can't just pretend that conquering neighbouring regions is something you can do in the 21st century. The way people talk, most Irish people would sell Zyklon B to the Nazis - sure the local chemical plant needs the custom. And so what if we run a slave trade out of Cork, sure people are going to buy their slaves somewhere.

keeponhurling wrote: »

In the Irish Times there is an article by Eamon McCann

If we have to pick a side over Crimea, let it be Russia
Just as a counterweight to what Pascal has been saying
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/if-we-have-to-pick-a-side-over-crimea-let-it-be-russia-1.1731105

"Vladimir Putin may run a vicious regime but the people of Crimea have a right to be accepted as Russian if that’s what they want, which evidently they do."


Anyone who accepts that poll as valid is either unimaginably misinformed or a shill for Russian interests.

keeponhurling

goose2005 wrote: »

Anyone who accepts that poll as valid is either unimaginably misinformed or a shill for Russian interests.

Would you accept that general consensus that well in excess of 50% of Crimeans want to rejoin Russia?
And they might be concerned by the anti-Russian protest that saw in Kiev recently?

goose2005

keeponhurling wrote: »

Would you accept that general consensus that well in excess of 50% of Crimeans want to rejoin Russia?

So basically any region that is 51% ethnic Russian is liable to be invaded by Russian troops, a quick "referendum" and then annexation?

And they might be concerned by the anti-Russian protest that saw in Kiev recently?

Yeah, I mean why would those Kievans be anti-Russia?

Khannie

Foxhound38 wrote: »

According to the Times anyway.

Is it? Don't get me wrong, I don't agree with what Russia is doing in the Crimea - but couldn't this threaten our fuel security?

Better not do anything in case it hurts us, so.

Jumboman

Foxhound38 wrote: »

According to the Times anyway.

Is it? Don't get me wrong, I don't agree with what Russia is doing in the Crimea - but couldn't this threaten our fuel security?

As for platitudes towards international law - again, I agree with the concept - but doesn't such platitudes ring a little hollow from an Irish State that allowed extraordinary rendition to be facilitated through Shannon Airport?

I'm not sure on this one tbh

No it has absolutely nothing to do with Ireland.

Khannie

keeponhurling wrote: »

Would you accept that general consensus that well in excess of 50% of Crimeans want to rejoin Russia?

Maybe we should invade Fermanagh.

Mardy Bum

Russia's human rights record along with its corruption record should not be allowed to expand its borders to pillage other countries. The 'referendum' had two options and both meant Russia would and could reclaim Crimea the only difference being the time period. This has shades of Germany's advances into the Rhineland. The Germans there were delighted the military arrived and had a parade. That didn't turn out the best.

Sulla Felix

Sanctions don't worry Russia. Anything the EU does will be purposefully less harmful purely because we rely on them for 100bn m3 of natural gas a year so unless we can kind a medium-long term replacement for that...
Once the military option was explicitly taken off the table, Putin could do what he likes. I dislike him, but I have to admire a piece of realpolitik of machiavellian scale.