The Russian government announced Wednesday that it is banning 56 Irish citizens, including the country’s Prime Minister Micheál Martin, from entering the country in response to «unilateral restrictive measures» adopted by Dublin in response to the invasion of Ukraine.
«In response to the anti-Russian path of the Irish government, which unconditionally supports the unilateral restrictive measures passed by the European Union (EU) against Russian citizens aimed at isolating our country, a decision has been made to include 52 Irish representatives and politicians on the entry ban list,» the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Thus, it has indicated in its statement, published on its website, that the list includes the Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland, Leo Varadkar, and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defense, Justice and Finance, as well as senators and members of the lower house of the Parliament of the European country.
Moscow has denounced that «acting under the dictates of Brussels, Ireland is conducting an aggressive anti-Russian propaganda campaign, a path that has led to the curtailment of bilateral cooperation to the detriment of its own interests», before claiming that «one of the consequences of fueling Russophobic hysteria in Irish society was the attack in March against the Russian Embassy in Dublin».
«Regarding the possibility of further measures, we will be guided by Dublin’s position,» the Russian Foreign Ministry reiterated, without the Irish authorities having made any statement on this decision by Moscow for the time being.
