Allison Bray 15/3/2022
MEPs Clare Daly and Mick Wallace last night stood by their opposition to a European Parliament motion against the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Wallace said Russia “has genuine security concerns about NATO going into Ukraine but that doesn’t change the fact that what Russia has done now is a crime.”
The pair said their stance was one against the increased militarisation by European allies and “other serious clauses” they believe would prolong the war.
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The Independents 4 Change members have come in for heavy criticism since they and 11 other MEPs voted against a European Parliament resolution that argued in favour of speeding up Ukraine’s candidacy for EU membership and condemned the invasion.
The Indo Daily: Under Siege – How Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has thrown MEPs Mick Wallace and Clare Daly into the spotlight
But speaking on Virgin Media’s ‘The Tonight Show’ last night during an interview from Brussels, Ms Daly said “we voted absolutely to condemn the Russian invasion, to put the sole responsibility on Russia for that… It’s a completely illegal act on Russia’s behalf.”
But she said they voted against the motion because it “also contained a number of very serious clauses, like increasing the weaponry going into Ukraine – and we see that now with a massive escalation of the conflict – we see more engagement with NATO being called for – and a commitment from the EU to increase its military expenditure.
“In our experience it just means prolonging the situation and making it worse,” she said.
She said the outcry against their stance has resulted in some “a little bit sinister” developments, including the offices of all 13 MEPs in Strasbourg who voted against the resolution having Nazi stickers put on their doors – including her own.
“It means the neo-Nazis have their eyes on us” she claimed, adding she has also received a number of very aggressive emails over their stance.
She said she has also support from those who agree with their stance on maintaining Irish neutrality.
Ms Daly and Mr Wallace, as well as Irish MEP Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan drew fire for opposing an amendment to a European Parliament report on foreign interference in the democratic processes in the EU that endorsed the European Commission’s ban on what was termed “Russian disinformation organs”, including State-run RT and Sputnik TV.
Mr Wallace said the “EU as an institution has not come out of it well. Putin was 100pc wrong, it’s a disaster what he’s done,” he said adding Putin’s actions are war crimes.”
Asked about the EU’s banning of Russian state television, he said: “I don’t believe in censorship. How would you like to be censored?,” he asked reporter Claire Brock.
“I’m amazed that the media would think that censoring other media is a good idea,” he said adding that “the amount of disinformation coming out of both sides is phenomenal and it’s going to be difficult for us to even know what’s really happening, probably at a later time.”
Read More
- Up to 20,000 civilians feared dead in Ukrainian city Mariupol, says official
- Ukrainian refugees at the border: ‘They left with whatever they could fit in a backpack and with no plan’