There are fresh calls today for the Russian Ambassador to be expelled from Ireland.
Yuri Filatov has been summoned by Minister Simon Coveney to the Department of Foreign Affairs to meet the Secretary General later, after Russia yesterday slapped 52 Irish politicians with a travel ban.
Moscow has failed to name all of the politicians on the list, however it does include the Taoiseach and Tánaiste, and is supposedly in retaliation for Ireland's support of EU sanctions.
Up to now the Government has insisted that it was best to keep diplomatic channels open while the war continues in Ukraine.
However, Fine Gael Senator Neale Richmond says the time has come to change that:
"We have a Russian Embassy criticized for diplomats expelled on the suspicion of espionage that is recognized globally, as repeated by many security commentators. That is a listening post between clear communication channels between the US and Europe. It is not in our interests anymore for this embassy to remain open. It's not at the EU's interest of the Russian ambassador continues to fire off messages and act aggressively towards our own political leaders of all parties."
