FULL SCALE WAR. FOREIGN Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has warned "there is a real sense that things are going in the wrong direction" amid fears that Russia will invade Ukraine and spark a full scale war in Europe.
French President Emmanuel Macron this morning spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin in what has been described as last-ditch diplomatic attempts to prevent Russia from invading Ukraine.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the BBC that there is evidence that Russia are planning the “biggest war in Europe since 1945” as fears grow that President Putin will order an invasion of Ukraine.
Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney is in Germany today for the Munich Security Conference where leaders are discussing the latest situation in Ukraine.
Minister Coveney told Newstalk’s On The Record that it is now expected Russia will invade Ukraine as he claimed the outlook is “pretty bleak.”
He said: “There is a real sense of foreboding, if you like, that actually things are moving in the wrong direction rather than in the direction of de-escalation for now.
“The response to that has to be for us to continue to try and even the Ukrainian President yesterday has called for bilateral dialogue with President #Putin to try to defuse tension and avoid military conflict.
“We’re just going to have to wait and see how #Russia responds to that.”
[ Ссылка ] #eudebates
He added: “The idea that we would have a full scale war in Europe in 2022 is just almost unthinkable but when you look at the extent of the military build up that is surrounding two thirds of Ukraine now, it is deeply worrying.”
THE EU has warned that they will introduce severe economic sanctions on Russia if they invade Ukraine.
There are concerns that Russia’s response to those sanctions may cause energy issues across Europe, including in Ireland, as Russia is one of the world’s biggest exporters of oil and gas.
FLIGHTS CANCELLED
Dutch airline KLM has suspended flights to Ukraine due to concerns about a Russian invasions with Minister Coveney revealing today that several other airlines are likely to stop commercial flights to the country as well.
A number of Irish families who are going through the surrogacy process in Ukraine are working with the Department of Foreign Affairs to bring their new born children home safely.
Minister Coveney said a number of these families will fly home to Ireland today however, other couples are still working with the Department while they wait for their child to be born.
EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs meet on 21 February 2022 in Brussels. The meeting is chaired by Josep BORRELL, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Foreign Affairs Ministers discuss recent developments in Russia's military activities around Ukraine. They then hold a discussion on Europe's current security situation. They move on to climate change and reflect on how the EU's ambitious climate goals affect the EU's external relations. Furthermore, Ministers review the deepening political crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina and review the latest developments in Mali. Finally, the Ministers run a cyber-exercise and meet their Gulf country counterparts in the joint council of the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
