An Irish MEP says the entire European Union should expel Russian diplomats over its invasion of Ukraine.
Fianna Fáil's Billy Kelleher says the bloc should send a strong message to Moscow.
He told The Hard Shoulder this should start with Russia's ambassador to Ireland, Yuriy Filatov.
"I think he should be packed on the plane some time, at this stage, and sent back to Moscow.
"I think the entire European Union should expel the diplomatic corps of - what is effectively - a rogue regime that has invaded a country that was of no threat to it.
"We've sanctions in place, but I believe that we should also have a diplomatic sanction.
"And certainly from an Irish perspective, Ambassador Filatov and others of [the] diplomatic corps should be sent back to Russia."
'Frogmarched to the airport'
He believes this should happen immediately: "He should be frogmarched to the airport at this stage.
"What has happened is just simply appalling from the point of view of international law."
Mr Kelleher says the ambassador told the Irish people 'blatant untruths'.
"I listened to Ambassador Filatov for the last number of days, in studios and on the phone speaking to the Irish people - telling us what were blatantly untruths with regard to the imminent invasion of Ukraine.
"The fact of the matter is this is a full-scale, military invasion of a country that was of no threat to Russia."
Russia's Ambassador to Ireland Yuri Filatov seen at Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in July 2018. Picture by: ITAR-TASS News Agency/Alamy Live NewsPut to him that the Irish ambassador in Moscow would be expelled in tandem, he says: "Obviously we could recall our own ambassador, but... we are already placing sanctions on Russia.
"So the idea that sending the ambassador back would have a more profound impact on the economy of Ireland and exports is not a credible argument.
"We clearly have to send a signal to Russia that they can't continue to have troops wading around the streets of Kyiv threatening civilian populations and threatening a friendly country".
He says diplomatic sanctions should be imposed "across the entire of the European Union."
"The people that we are dealing with in terms of the diplomatic service in Ireland, representing Russia, have not been honest with us".
