Russian embassy criticises McEntee over Dáil statement

Updated / Friday, 23 Oct 2026 13:01

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence has been accused of making "reprehensible and misleading" comments in the Dáil about Russia's role in the UN Security Council and its approach to UN peacekeeping missions.

The Russian Embassy in Ireland took issue with Helen McEntee's statement this week that the current "Triple Lock" legislation allows Russia, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, "to have a say over which peacekeeping missions we can send our troops to".

In a statement, the embassy said: "Contrary to her assertions, the UN Security Council does not vote on what countries take part in a peacekeeping mission - its composition is agreed in the course of multilateral consultations conducted by the UN Secretariat and the interested UN member-countries."

It added: "The allegations by Minister McEntee are reprehensible and misleading, grossly distorting the substance and the meaning of procedures provided by the UN Charter."

The Russian Embassy also took issue with her remarks that Russia is "attacking European member-states, including Germany, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland".

"The Minister's speculations over Russia's 'attacks' on the EU countries are totally baseless, dangerously provocative and unacceptable," the statement said.

"This kind of rhetoric is unthinkable for any responsible member of a government."

It concluded: "It is regrettable that the Irish government has chosen to deliberately question the workings of the UN - despite its much-advertised commitment to the central role of the UN in the international order - with the aim to promote domestic policy agenda.

"It is also incumbent upon Irish leadership to realise that exercises in Russophobia cannot make up for a serious failure in its approach to relations with Russia and issues of peace and stability in Europe."