{"id":24943,"date":"2022-01-25T15:04:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-25T20:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24943"},"modified":"2022-01-26T15:07:59","modified_gmt":"2022-01-26T20:07:59","slug":"irish-citizens-urged-to-avoid-travel-to-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24943","title":{"rendered":"Irish Citizens Urged To Avoid Travel To Ukraine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Passengers in Terminal 1 at Dublin Airport (PA Archive\/PA Images)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Irish citizens are being advised to avoid non-essential travel to Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin said on Tuesday the advice comes in light of ongoing tensions at the Eastern European country\u2019s border with Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also said planned Russian navy exercises off the Irish coast are \u201cnot welcome\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reiterating comments made by Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney, the Taoiseach told the D\u00e1il: \u201cHolding military exercises in international waters off our coast is not welcome. And there is an ecological issue here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Russian artillery drills, at the start of February, will take place in international waters but within Irish-controlled airspace and the country\u2019s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Monday, the Russian ambassador to Ireland dismissed the plans as a \u201cnon-story\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yury Filatov downplayed the significance of the exercises after concerns were raised by the Government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Martin rejected his suggestion such training exercises are a \u201cregular occurrence\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Martin, answering several questions from TDs about the tensions, said: \u201cIreland accepts Ukrainian territorial integrity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur principles in approach to the Russian-Ukrainian situation is accepting and, of course, adhering to that fundamental rules-based international order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe want diplomatic resolution to this. We want this de-escalated. We don\u2019t believe it necessitates the massing of so many hundreds of thousands of troops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t necessitate a war or invasion or the violation of Ukrainian territorial integrity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think the world would breathe a collective sigh of relief because the world is trying to come through Covid-19 and all its implications and now, to go through another crisis, which could occur as a result of an invasion, I think would be very, very difficult for the world as a whole to deal with.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett told the D\u00e1il Russian president Vladimir Putin is a \u201cthug and an autocrat\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, he asked: \u201cOf course we should condemn what Russia are doing, but why is there no condemnation, from a country that is supposed to be neutral, about a clear agenda by Nato to expand eastwards and to escalate military tensions with Russia?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Martin rejected the claim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think Nato is being aggressive here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier,\u00a0fishermen who plan to peacefully disrupt Russia\u2019s military exercises off Ireland were warned not to put themselves at risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patrick Murphy, chief executive of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organization, said some of its members plan to hold a protest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He described the area of the exercises as \u201cvery important\u201d for fishing and said members want to protect biodiversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about the fishermen\u2019s plans, T\u00e1naiste Leo Varadkar said on Tuesday: \u201cI haven\u2019t had the chance to speak to any of the fishermen operating in that area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI suppose I would just say to them that these are military vessels. Whatever they choose to do in terms of any protests, just make sure that they don\u2019t put themselves at risk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Varadkar said Ireland is powerless to stop the exercises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut we have made it very clear that these exercises are not welcome, particularly in the current context, when tensions are rising in relation to Ukraine,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s being communicated to them very strongly. There are no plans to send Irish troops to Ukraine. That hasn\u2019t been discussed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Varadkar said the Cabinet received a comprehensive briefing from Mr Coveney over fears Russia will invade Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is very serious. There is a real fear that we could see a land war on the continent of Europe,\u201d the Fine Gael leader added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe haven\u2019t seen that for a very long time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAside from the humanitarian impact, it could have an impact on us economically as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe got a comprehensive briefing on that today. We\u2019re coordinating our response, of course, with our European partners and our UN partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Russian exercises off the coast of Cork and Kerry, while not illegal, are not welcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t believe that they\u2019re connected to the events in Russia and Ukraine but we certainly would prefer that they were not happening.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In compliance with legal requirements, Russia informed Ireland\u2019s aviation authorities of the planned activities in advance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) said there would be no impact on the safety of civil aircraft operations.<\/p>\n

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