‘Russia must be held to account for unjustified and unprovoked attack’

Meath County Council has strongly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and called on the Government to use its position on the United Nations Security Council to form a global consensus towards bringing the Russian perpetrators of the attack to account.

At the start of this week’s monthly meeting of the Council Cathaoirleach Cllr Sean Drew said that he wanted to make a statement on “the tragic events that are unfolding in Ukraine”.

He said that the Council strongly condemned the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine, a sovereign and independent country. It was an unprovoked and unjustified attack that had brought death and destruction to Ukraine and to its people.

“The invasion has triggered a humanitarian crisis. Over one-and-a-half-million people have been forced to flee from their homes, their towns and their cities as they come under heavy bombardment”.

The suffering of the people of Ukraine was harrowing and they had shown extraordinary courage and resilience in the face of such hardship, he said.

“We commend them for their heroic efforts. However, innocent civilians including children and babies are paying the terrible price of conflict”.

“As a council we call on our Government to do all that it can to support the humanitarian efforts being put in place to deal with the hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing from the conflict.

“Meath County Council will work with the Government and other agencies where we can to welcome, accommodate and support those in need. We also call on the Government to use Ireland’s place on the United Stations Security Council to work towards a global consensus on measures to hold the Russian Federation to account and ensure that human rights are protected and to find the means to bring the conflict to a conclusion and to secure a long lasting peace”.

The Council called on the Russian Federation “to stop targeting civilians in Ukraine and to allow them safe, unfettered access to destinations in other countries”.

“We ask the Russian Federation to immediately end the invasion, withdraw its troops from Ukraine and to turn to the path of dialogue and diplomacy before any more lives are lost in this unnecessary war. The Ukrainian people are grappling with the humanitarian consequences of a war not of their making.

“Meath County Council and the people of Meath stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

“To symbolise our solidarity we will continue to fly the Ukrainian flag at Council headquarters and municipal buildings and we will illuminate buildings across the county in the colours of the Ukrainian flag.

“In the days and weeks to come this solidarity may require more tangible and practical measures. There have already been collections locally of medical and other humanitarian supplies, some assisted by our own staff and Civil Defence this weekend and I am confident that Meath Co Council and the people of Meath will not be found wanting in our response moving forward.”