Ireland's socialist party PBP defends decision to not clap for Zelenskyy's Dáil address

Ireland’s People Before Profit TDs who refused to applaud Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s speech to a joint session of the Dáil and Seanad in Leinster House on Wednesday, April 6 defended their refusal to clap. "We stood in solidarity and respect for Ukrainian people and for their president and the war crimes they are suffering at the hands of Putin," a spokesperson told an Irish newspaper.  “But we disagree with calls he made previously for NATO involvement which we think would escalate an already dangerous situation,” he added.

While Zelensky, who made a virtual speech to the Irish parliament, received a standing ovation and a big round of applause from nearly all TDs and Senators, People Before Profit’s four TDs, Bríd Smith, Gino Kenny, Richard Boyd Barrett, and Paul Murphy did not stand in solidarity. 

Ukraine’s President Zelesnkyy addressed both houses of Ireland’s Oireachtas and appealed that Ireland must convince European Union to impose more economic sanctions on Russia in a retaliatory measure against the civilian killings by the Russian troops in his country. However, the People Before Party of Ireland did not seem to agree with Ukraine's leader’s requests of convincing the NATO and EU nations to declare a no-fly zone and target more sanctions on Kremlin officials. This move can be escalatory, they explained, adding that the two warring sides must work to end the hostilities.  

'We also don't agree with the extension of sanctions..' says Irish party 

TDs Kenny and Smith also stirred controversy as they were both spotted wearing white. But the party clarified later: ”We stood with the people of Ukraine and stand with them in their struggle against the Russian imperialist invasion.” It added, “We also don't agree with the extension of sanctions which are hurting ordinary Russian people and appear to be actually helping to bolster Putin's support at home.” “We also disagree with the banning of opposition parties who have almost 20pc of the vote between them,” the party said in a statement. They rejected Zelenskyy’s calls to ban the Opposition parties in Ukraine, adding “we support those parties but because it's a dangerous attack on democratic rights which actually undermines the struggle against the invasion.” “We also disagree with the banning of opposition parties who have almost 20pc of the vote between them,” they said. 

In a remark with Irish broadcasters, Fine Gael Minister of State Patrick O'Donovan called on the four People Before Profit TDs to apologize to Zelenskyy. "To me, they are a source of embarrassment to this parliament," he said about the TDs during a debate related to the European Council meeting. "They should make a personal statement [to apologize].” Irish Education Minister Simon Harris told independent.ie: “I think it’s disappointing - President Zelensky gave a very moving address to the Dáil today and also a very stark analysis of the situation.”