I move:
“That Seanad Éireann:
recalls:
- that in the first Article of Bunreacht na hÉireann the Irish nation affirmed its inalienable, indefeasible, and sovereign right to choose its own form of Government, to determine its relations with other nations, and to develop its life, political, economic and cultural, in accordance with its own genius and traditions;
- that Ireland believes in, and is fully committed to the core principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations (UN Charter), which include the sovereign equality and territorial integrity of states;
- that Ukraine has the same fundamental right as every other sovereign and independent state to choose its own foreign policy and to ensure the security and defence of its own territory; and
- the commitments we make as members of the United Nations (UN) are binding on every UN Member State;
reaffirms its commitment to the principle of the pacific settlement of disputes and calls on all nations to settle disputes peacefully in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter;
condemns in the strongest terms Russia's acts of aggression against Ukraine and reaffirms its unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders;
notes that our deep concern about the actions of the Russian leadership does not diminish the friendship and respect we have for ordinary Russians, including those who have built a future in Ireland;
rejects the decision of the Russian Federation to recognise the so-called ‘independence’ of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions as a violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and calls upon the Russian Federation to reverse this decision;
urges Russia to reverse the recognition, withdraw its military forces, and return to discussions within the Normandy format;
calls for the full implementation of the Minsk Agreements as endorsed by the Security Council in UN Security Council Resolution 2202 (2015);
welcomes the commitment of €10 million in humanitarian aid to the Ukraine Humanitarian Response Plan as an expression of Irish solidarity with the people of Ukraine; and
calls upon the Secretary General of the UN to use his good offices to search for a peaceful settlement.”