Ireland foreign minister dodges question over Russian-owned alumina plant

Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee declined to confirm that Ireland's alumina plant, predominantly owned by Russian firm Rusal, would be included in an upcoming EU sanctions list. This plant, known as Aughinish Alumina, has been identified as exporting material to Russia, subsequently found in Russian weapons utilized against Ukraine.

Initially, the Irish government argued that sanctioning the plant would inflict more damage on the EU than on Russia. However, Dublin later consented to an investigation, which concluded that there was no definitive proof linking the alumina to a weapons manufacturer in Russia. McEntee stated that they had presented the report to Ukrainian colleagues and would cooperate with them.

Ukraine hasn't commented on the Aughinish Alumina plant, but its Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, previously said that Russia must be deprived of alumina access. The EU is currently contemplating its 22nd package of sanctions against Russia, which will likely consist of over 1,600 listings, the largest ever. Despite Ireland's support for every sanctions package proposed, the Aughinish Alumina plant was notably absent from the 21st package.

Estonia's Foreign Minister, Margus Tsahkna, had proposed its inclusion, but it was vetoed, indicating that an EU member state held the power to block its addition. Ireland has not admitted to vetoing the plant's inclusion, but it's the only nation with a clear interest in doing so. Following McEntee's statement, her Finnish counterpart, Elina Valtonen, mentioned that Finland remains open to sanctioning aluminum, emphasizing the importance of exploring all available options.