The Kremlin has banned a list of senior Irish Government ministers from entering Russia.
In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said a total of 52 key representatives were to be banned.
The list includes:
- Taoiseach Micheál Martin
- Tánaiste Leo Varadkar
- Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney
- Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe
- Justice Minister Helen McEntee
The Kremlin said the move was “in response to the anti-Russian course of the Irish government”.
“Acting under the dictation of Brussels, Ireland is conducting an aggressive anti-Russian propaganda campaign, a course has been taken to curtail bilateral cooperation to the detriment of its own interests,” it said.
It said the Government was “fuelling Russophobic hysteria in Irish society” and blamed it for an incident outside its embassy in the early days of the Ukraine invasion.
“In response to the anti-Russian course of the Irish government, which unconditionally supports the unilateral restrictive measures imposed by the European Union against Russian citizens, aimed at attempts to isolate our country internationally, a decision was made to include 52 key representatives of the leadership and politicians of Ireland in the Russian ‘stop list,’” it said.
The list also includes the Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl and “several senators”.
