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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy examines the site of a recent battle in Bucha, close to Kyiv. AP/PA Images

Zelenskyy denounces Russian 'war crimes' in Bucha and pledges to rebuild Kyiv suburbs

Western leaders called for further sanctions in response to the alleged atrocities, as Moscow continued to press its offensive in the east.

LAST UPDATE | 4 Apr 2022

RUSSIA FACED A fresh wave of condemnation after evidence emerged of what appeared to be deliberate killings of civilians in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made his first reported foray outside Kyiv since the war began, meeting residents in Bucha, located northwest of the capital.

He denounced the killings as “genocide” and “war crimes”.

The images of corpses lying in the Kyiv suburb’s streets unleashed a wave of outrage that could signal a turning point after six weeks of war unleashed by Russia.

Some western leaders called for further sanctions in response to the alleged atrocities, even as Moscow continued to press its offensive in Ukraine’s east.

European allies, though united in outrage, appeared split on how to respond. Poland, which is on Ukraine’s border and has taken in large numbers of refugees, angrily singled out France and Germany for not taking more strident action and urged Europe to quickly wean itself off Russian energy, while Berlin said it would take a longer-term approach.

Ukrainian officials said the bodies of 410 civilians were found in towns around the capital, Kyiv, recaptured from Russian forces in recent days.

In Bucha, Associated Press journalists saw 21 bodies.

One group of nine, all in civilian clothes, were scattered around a site that residents said Russian troops used as a base. They appeared to have been shot at close range. At least two had their hands tied behind their backs.

In Motyzhyn, to the west of Kyiv, AP journalists saw the bodies of four people who appeared to have been shot at close range and thrown into a pit. Residents said the mayor, her son, and her husband – who had been bound and blindfolded – were among them.

featureimage A woman cries while waiting along with others for distribution of food products in the village of Motyzhyn, Ukraine PA Images PA Images

‘Genocide’

US President Joe Biden called for a war crimes trial against Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and said he will seek more sanctions after the reported atrocities.

“You saw what happened in Bucha,” Biden said, describing Putin as a “war criminal”.

Western and Ukrainian leaders have accused Russia of war crimes before, and the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor has opened a probe to investigate the conflict.

However, the latest reports ratcheted up the condemnation even further, with President Zelenskyy and some western leaders going so far as accusing Russia of genocide.

The crime of genocide is difficult to prove because prosecutors would have to show that the killers or their commanders had a “specific intent” to partially or wholly destroy a group of people — but the use of the word has clear emotional resonance and could serve to draw even more attention to the conflict.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov rejected the allegations, describing the scenes outside Kyiv as a “stage-managed anti-Russian provocation.”

He said the mayor of Bucha made no mention of atrocities a day after Russian troops left last week, but two days later scores of bodies were photographed scattered in the streets.

He said Russia is pushing for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss the matter, but the UK, which currently chairs the body, has refused to convene it. The US and Britain have accused Russia in recent weeks of using Security Council meetings to spread disinformation.

politics-ukraine Press Association Images Press Association Images

Condemnation from Europe

Speaking to reporters this morning, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that Russia was committing “appalling and barbaric crimes” in Ukraine.

He said that the Government would be supporting additional sanctions against Russia for the killing of civilians in Kyiv and Bucha.

“We’re now looking and we would support further sanctions, which in themselves has an impact on the economy, given the appalling and barbaric crimes committed by Russian Federation troops in Ukraine, particularly in the environs of Kyiv and Bucha and other towns, where we see innocent civilians murdered, hands tied behind their backs,” Martin said.

We cannot be blind in the first instance, to the appalling human trauma and death that is being visited upon the people of Ukraine.

“Every conceivable pressure that we can now has to be put on Russia to stop this war and stop this attack on humanity.”

Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki described Russia as a “totalitarian-fascist state”, saying “the bloody massacres perpetrated by Russian soldiers deserve to be called by name: this is genocide”.

French President Emmanuel Macron said today there is “clear evidence of war crimes” in Bucha.

“What just happened in Bucha calls for a new round of sanctions and very clear measures,” he said on France-Inter radio. “I’m in favour of a new round of sanctions and in particular on coal and petrol. We need to act.”

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also called for those responsible for the slayings in Bucha to be punished, saying they should “answer these alleged cases of crimes against humanity, war crimes and, why not say it, of genocide, too”.

European Council president Charles Michel earlier tweeted that the EU is assisting Ukrainians and rights groups in gathering evidence to be used in international courts, adding that “further EU sanctions & support are on their way”.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said “the Russian authorities are responsible for these atrocities, committed while they had effective control of the area”.

“The perpetrators of war crimes and other serious violations as well as the responsible government officials and military leaders will be held accountable,” he added.

US condemnation

In the meantime, the US and its allies have sought to punish the Kremlin for the war by imposing sweeping sanctions on Russia. Despite this, they may be reluctant to impose measures that cause further harm to a global economy still recovering from the coronavirus pandemic.

As a major oil and gas exporter, Russia stands to benefit from any rise in already high global energy prices.

Europe is in a particular bind, since it gets 40% of its gas and 25% of its oil from Russia. Governments have been scrambling to find ways to reduce that reliance. Estimates of the impact of a gas boycott on European countries vary but most involve a substantial loss of economic output.

German vice-chancellor Robert Habeck, who is also the economy minister and responsible for energy, said Europe can go “significantly further” in imposing sanctions against Russia.

He said Germany is right to take a longer-term approach to abandoning Russian energy imports.

Germany has faced criticism for opposing an immediate halt to Russian energy deliveries. The country says it hopes to end Russian coal imports this summer and oil imports by the end of the year, but halting gas will take longer.

“We are working every day on creating the conditions for and steps toward an embargo,” Habeck said. “We are on the right track.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 24 February invasion has killed thousands of people and forced more than four million Ukrainians to flee their country.

Putin has said the attack is aimed at eliminating a security threat and demanded that Ukraine drop its bid to join the Nato military alliance of western countries. Ukraine insists it never posed any threat but has offered to officially declare itself neutral.

The head of Ukraine’s delegation in talks with Russia has said Moscow’s negotiators informally agreed to most of a draft proposal discussed during talks in Istanbul, but no written confirmation has been provided.

embedded266205731 Soldiers walk amid destroyed Russian tanks in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv PA PA

While western officials initially said they believed Putin’s goal was to take Kyiv and potentially install a Kremlin-friendly government, Russian forces faced stiff resistance on their road to the capital and have now retreated from some areas around it.

Now, Moscow says it is focusing its offensive on the Donbas in the country’s east, where Russian-backed separatists have been fighting Ukrainian forces for years.

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92 Comments
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    Mute Fr. Fintan Stack
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    Apr 4th 2022, 7:10 AM

    China and India need to get off the fence here!

    488
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    Mute Munster1
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    Apr 4th 2022, 8:09 AM

    @Fr. Fintan Stack: They need oil and gas from Russia, they are not going to completely side with the west.

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    Mute Niall Cremen
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    Apr 4th 2022, 11:28 AM

    @Fr. Fintan Stack: so does the Kerry Group. Greed over ethics.

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    Mute Steve O'Hara-Smith
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    Apr 4th 2022, 1:04 PM

    @Niall Cremen: We’re paying in increased prices. They’d be paying by not having enough to keep going, ie. in lives, that’s a big ask.

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    Mute Vasco
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    Apr 4th 2022, 2:02 PM

    @Munster1: the gas and oil will still remain in the same place. If China and India join sanctions, Putin definitely will go. The war will end and the next Russia leader will return to business with China and India.

    29
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    Mute leartius
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    Apr 4th 2022, 3:26 PM

    @Fr. Fintan Stack: Wishful thinking I’m afraid. India is buying oil at 30% of the cost per illegal invasion. India is a democracy that needs to survive.
    As for China, It will be Russia’s ‘lender of last resort’ setting whatever terms it wants to keep Putin in power. China has a vested interest in keeping Russians fighting the west.
    China will take all the oil and gas that was heading for europe.
    China and India have different reasons for supporting Putin. It’s countries within NATO and Europe who are a bigger threat.
    We all know what will happen if Russia attacks a NATO country but if a NATO country invites the Russians army over its border. It will weaken NATO from within.

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    Mute ChronicAnxiety
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    Apr 4th 2022, 4:55 PM

    @Munster1: same reason we say nothing about saudi arabian war crimes in Yemen,

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    Mute David Crosbie
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    Apr 4th 2022, 6:41 PM

    @Fr. Fintan Stack: they have already picked a side

    9
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    Mute Mick Tobin
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    Apr 4th 2022, 7:16 AM

    - “Moscow’s deputy ambassador to the UN said Russia had requested a UN Security Council meeting today ‘in light of heinous provocation of Ukrainian radicals in Bucha’.”

    This is the interesting bit. The Security Council has 5 permanent members including Russia and the US, so there won’t be any rebuke either way. So Russia will almost certainly want to be gauging China’s response.

    Other than that, there’s Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana, India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, Norway & the United Arab Emirates as the current non-permanant members – a rather colourful lot, and I would guess Russia as well as China would want to get an idea of how things stand there.

    Albania is in China’s Belt & Road and close to the Balkans, India’s been hesitant, there’s a couple of African nations there – a continent where China has been investing and where some people think the west is getting some payback, Brazil will be interesting as will Mexico even if the latter may be under some US pressure, but the real cracker could be the United Arab Emirates. Together with Saudi Arabia they’ve been less than pleased with the Iran nuclear deal, and they’ve been snubbing Biden’s call to increase oil production because of it. It looks as if both are increasingly turning their backs on the US and turning towards the Chinese since they feel that country’s easier when it comes to foreign policy.

    I’ve said it before: Russia is trying to blow up the post-WW2 rule-based order, and China so far has its back since they’ve the same ambition. I don’t think these crimes happened on purpose, I think they happened because Russian battalions failed, got frustrated & took revenge. But the fact that this is now going to the UN underscores the cynicism involved. You take it to the very rule-based institution you’re trying to blow up – only to gauge your level of support. And I think we may be in for a bit of a shock. I suspect a good deal of the Council may implicitly or explicitly end up on the Russia/China side.

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    Mute Mick McGuinness
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    Apr 4th 2022, 7:21 AM

    @Mick Tobin: get wrid of 5 permanent members it’s 2022 not 1947 or whatever. No country should have veto over the majority that includes USA, France, UK, China or Russia.

    128
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    Mute Mick Tobin
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    Apr 4th 2022, 7:29 AM

    @Mick McGuinness: You can’t change the rules without the permanent members agreeing. These rules have been agreed after WW2 and we’re stuck with them until, well… that’s a tough one to even begin to consider mate. But I hope you do at least see the conundrum here.

    66
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    Mute Jane Alford
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    Apr 4th 2022, 8:00 AM

    Putin doesn’t want the people, he wants the land. Of course he’s going to sl4ughter the population…

    119
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    Mute Des Hanrahan
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    Apr 4th 2022, 12:08 PM

    There are some problems with this alleged massacre.
    Russian troops withdraw on the 31/3.
    Town’s gives an interview on 1/4 : no bodies on the streets etc.
    Ukrainian police publish a video of them driving around the streets with several interviews with local residents. No bodies, no word of a massacre. Allthis on 2/4.
    On 3/4.On 3/4 a film crew arrive. Suddenly there are bodies all over the place. Some with fresh blood (blood isn’t red after 4 days)
    I have heard that all the bodies have now been buried in a mass grave. No autopsies and no identification. If they are locals then people will know who they are.

    69
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    Mute GrumpyAulFella
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    Apr 4th 2022, 2:48 PM

    @Des Hanrahan: I’ve no doubt that there are lies being told on both sides and the propaganda machines are working overtime but it appears that the AFP news agency has confirmed the genocide in Bucha. It has either been an elaborate, well planned and brilliantly executed hoax by the Ukrainians or Russians have been mowing down innocents as they retreat. I’m inclined to think the latter.

    72
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    Mute John Comerford
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    Apr 4th 2022, 3:21 PM

    @Des Hanrahan: I think the problem is your bias. Your so called facts have been widely dismissed as inaccurate. I don’t know what your motivation is for supporting the Russians but shame on you

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    Mute Eddie O'Connor
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    Apr 4th 2022, 4:45 PM

    @Des Hanrahan: Still some Russians in city on 1st according to Zvezda, the Russian MOD official channel. Ukrainian military entered parts of city on the 1st, and their social media had footage of massacred civilians up within 12 hours of entering city. Check the dates. Also still some Russian troops in surrounding area up to 3rd/4th of April, and were witnessed firing on civilians in cars by media. Many media outlets were in city just behind Ukraine military and have witnessed all of this.
    Also bodies are usually initially buried in mass graves to prevent disease, damage by animals and will be exhumed for investigation. So that in itself is not a sign of anything untoward

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    Mute Alan Byrne
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    Apr 4th 2022, 6:03 PM

    @Des Hanrahan: I don’t know where you are getting your info from on all of this. I first saw videos from Bucha with bodies on the streets on April 2nd.

    23
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    Mute Diaspora'd
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    Apr 4th 2022, 6:23 PM

    @Des Hanrahan: Throughout this invasion it’s not as if the Kremlin knows what’s going on a lot of the time. the military chain of command during the invasion hasn’t exactly been a model of efficiency and there is obvious dissension among the ranks.

    The fact that they flatly denied right away that it’s not possible their soldiers could be responsible is in itself highly dubious. What investigation did the Kremlin do? call the Chechen battalion commander or whoever it was that was there and asked them if they did it?

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    Mute David Coyne
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    Apr 4th 2022, 8:55 PM

    @Des Hanrahan: The bodies have been visible for 3 weeks via satellite imagery, but you know its true and are either a bot or a vile apologist for slaughter

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    Mute Nikolina Fiume
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    Apr 4th 2022, 11:00 PM

    @John Comerford: are you bias John? You know what I learned in life? When you know the truth on both sides, you stop taking sides. Think about it and educate yourself beyond the media.Documentaries, books..whatever. Just form an unbias opinion and you will know that you are probably right. And you will feel desperate.

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    Mute shligo boyzz
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    Apr 4th 2022, 9:09 AM

    Ukraine need offensive weapons sent over as soon as possible.

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    Mute Mark Walsh
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    Apr 4th 2022, 7:03 AM

    But all I need to know is… Did that Ukrainian child in Galway get his Lego?

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    Mute Ann Neylan
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    Apr 4th 2022, 8:55 AM

    @Mark Walsh: yes he did. It was delivered to the galmont Hotel. It seems he is a very talented young boy.

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    Mute Steve O'Hara-Smith
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    Apr 4th 2022, 9:22 AM

    Of course there are Russian justifications for this war, there are all sorts of issues and tensions left over from WWII and the cold war collapse. The Ukraine has its share, to think otherwise is denial. I doubt there are many saints running countries in the regions around Russia either. All this needs proper attention and real.solutions.
    NOT WAR AND ETHNIC CLEANSING.
    Those are yesterday’s discredited.approaches and countries need to stop reaching for then.
    NOW HOW DO WE MAKE IT HAPPEN ?

    33
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    Mute Rian Lynch
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    Apr 4th 2022, 9:45 AM

    @Steve O’Hara-Smith: what are russias justifications ?

    64
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    Mute Steve O'Hara-Smith
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    Apr 4th 2022, 10:09 AM

    @Rian Lynch: Frankly I neither know nor care about the details. What bugs me is the chosen solution. Just as.in the Nirth here it doesn’t solve anything it just provides reasons for more violence. To solve the problems people have to.stop fighting, start talking and understand each other.
    Killing everyone who objects.to ypur view is.no longer acceptable.

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    Mute David Bourke
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    Apr 4th 2022, 9:32 PM

    @Rian Lynch:

    There are no justifications, he’s just a useful !d!ot arguing in bad faith.

    This was an unprovoked, unjustifiable war. It is not just a war, but an ethnic cleansing on a scale not seen since WW2.

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    Mute Nikolina Fiume
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    Apr 4th 2022, 10:36 PM

    @David Bourke: BS. Watch Ukraine on fire by Oliver Stone made in 2016. Its on you tube. I am not justifying war, just don’t be so naive. See both sides and you will stop taking any sides. Don’t be manipulated.

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    Mute David Bourke
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    Apr 4th 2022, 11:55 PM

    @Nikolina Fiume:

    sEe BoTh SiDeS my hole. There’s only one country who started a war here. Ukraine is a sovereign nation with the right to defend its territory (Including Crimea), join NATO, and do whatever it likes. There is no justification for this war.

    Russia invaded in 2014 without provocation, they armed Russian nationalist extremists in the Donetsk & Luhansk regions. All Ukrainians have done is fight back against Russian aggression.

    Now crawl back into your hole vatnik.

    7
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    Mute Gavin Power
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    Apr 4th 2022, 2:20 PM

    Meanwhile the Ambassador in Ireland walks to the Dundrum town centre for coffee as he is welcome here

    31
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    Mute Jonathan O'Riordan
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    Apr 4th 2022, 5:56 PM

    @Gavin Power: but he is not welcome here any longer. Why can’t we be a leader like Lithuania?

    16
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    Mute Simbacat
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    Apr 4th 2022, 9:57 AM

    Russian animals not fit for civilised society

    79
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    Mute Steve O'Hara-Smith
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    Apr 4th 2022, 10:40 AM

    @Simbacat: Every country is capable of providing brutality – and has done so in the past. It’s the leaders who make it ok for the brutality to happen that are not fit for civilised society. Don’t fall into the trap of blaming the people for the way their led and misinformed. WWII showed us that ordinary people can be let to acts of horrific brutality by normalising it – that lesson is one to avoid NOT FOLLOW as Putin seems to be doing.

    25
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    Mute Diarmuid O'Braonáin
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    Apr 4th 2022, 12:09 PM

    During Irish war of independence, British Soldiers and the Black and Tans terrorised people and were notoriously cruel. They burned Cork city and other towns and shot up Croke Park. They destroyed many co-op businesses all over the country and killed 1000s of innocent people. They even carried prisoners in their trucks in the middle of soldiers to prevent ambushes from the IRA. During the Civil war the Irish was cruel as well and many many bad things happened. One such incident was a group of IRA men were tied to a mine as it went off. This was Irishman vs Irishman. Assinations, executions and murders. This happens in all conflicts. Every single one history repeating itself.

    My point is WAR is WAR. Innocent people die and soldiers on all sides do terrible things. This happens in all wars. Pouring more weapons and guns and money is going to increase the suffering. Both sides are laying land mines, both sides are hiding behind civilians and both sides are murdering people. The only way to make it stop is stop the war!!!!! Oliver Stone made a great movie about war from the Vietnam perspective, its called Heaven & Earth. Its so accurate that everything that happened in it is happening in Ukraine. Desperate people will do desperate things on all sides.

    Once the can of worms is opened that is war it cannot be put back and these actions cannot be undone. Prolonging the war like will increase the suffering. We need peace talks and guns to be laid on the ground. When Ukraine is destroyed all those involved will move on to somewhere else.

    29
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    Mute David Crosbie
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    Apr 4th 2022, 1:02 PM

    @Diarmuid O’Braonáin: you mentioned the Vietnam war and it’s documentary by Oliver stone, now mention “Ukraine on fire” by Oliver stone

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    Mute Diarmuid O'Braonáin
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    Apr 4th 2022, 1:21 PM

    @David Crosbie: it’s not a documentary. It’s a movie. I’ve never seen Ukraine on fire.

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    Mute David Crosbie
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    Apr 4th 2022, 5:44 PM

    @Diarmuid O’Braonáin: well that’s says a lot about you sir, shame on you for encouraging war

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    Mute Diarmuid O'Braonáin
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    Apr 4th 2022, 9:53 PM

    @David Crosbie: Please tell me what I said to make you think I’m encouraging war? My original comment was anti war. The movie I quoted heaven and earth is anti war.

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    Mute Nikolina Fiume
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    Apr 4th 2022, 11:01 PM

    @David Crosbie: Ukraine on fire should be watched by everyone.

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    Mute David Bourke
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    Apr 5th 2022, 12:01 AM

    @Nikolina Fiume:

    Unfortunately the Ukrainians have been too busy defending their lands from Russian orks since 2014, so they haven’t been able to produce such high budget propaganda themselves.

    Despicable of you to defend these Russian warcrimes with your bad-faith “both-sides”ing of this unprovoked aggression.

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    Mute Mike Dunne
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    Apr 5th 2022, 11:08 AM

    @Diarmuid O’Braonáin: Absolutely spot on and the longer the war drags on, the greater the likelihood of NATO being dragged in, leading to nuclear conflict.

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    Mute Rob Gale
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    Apr 4th 2022, 10:47 AM

    Its so strange how russians constantly use childish Trump style propaganda. “LIES! FAKE! MEAN TO RUSSIA!” from their generals to the cry babies here in the embassy. Why do they bother? They hate the west so much yet still try to lie and say they haven’t done anything wrong.

    54
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    Mute Steve O'Hara-Smith
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    Apr 4th 2022, 12:26 PM

    @Rob Gale: It has always been normal for nations to lie to each other just as it has always been normal for politicians to lie to their people. The problem this leaves is of course that the truth becomes hard to find.
    One thing that is clearly true even at this distance, Russia has invaded the Ukraine with weapons of war and not the other way round.
    Another is that.Ukrainian people are running for.their lives not Russian people.
    It seems to me that the Ukranians have no need to stage atrocities to make the Russians look bad, which sadly does not make it impossible (going by the lessons of history) but it does seem very unlikely to me.

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    Mute E.J. Murray
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    Apr 4th 2022, 1:28 PM

    @Rob Gale: – The Russians have form in denial, they tried to pin the WW2 Katyn massacre on the Nazis, and it was only umpteen decades later that they admitted responsibility. They’re still in denial about the downed Malaysian airline despite arrest warrants being issued for their people still hiding out in Russia. They seem to regularly deny being responsible for Novichok incidents. Given their history I don’t doubt the veracity of Ukraine’s claims of war crimes.

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    Mute John Comerford
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    Apr 4th 2022, 2:59 PM

    @E.J. Murray: totally agree. The Russian Government lie about everything. Just sad that so many Irish are gullible enough to believe them. It just muddies the waters, when any good decent person would be condemning this butcher not justifying it.

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    Mute Jonathan O'Riordan
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    Apr 4th 2022, 5:42 PM

    The latest BS from Orwell Road

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    Mute Jonathan O'Riordan
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    Apr 4th 2022, 5:41 PM

    ❗️#Statement by the Embassy of Russia in Ireland pertaining to the situation in Bucha.

    The Russian Federation categorically rejects any allegations of the Russian Armed Forces involvement in the killing of civilians in the Kiev suburb of Bucha. There are no facts to prove such allegations. To the contrary, according to the Ministry of Defence of Russia, its military units have left Bucha on March 30 and there has not been a single incident of violence against the people Bucha during their stay in it. The reports of the “massacre” appeared 4 days later, after Ukrainian forces have moved into Bucha. There are numerous independent assessments of these reports, which indicate its staged nature. That in itself should be a subject of a discussion at the highest political level

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    Mute Killian O'Sullivan
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    Apr 4th 2022, 7:14 PM

    @Jonathan O’Riordan: I think Spielberg would struggle to create a set resembling the photos of carnage and destruction and littered bodies between Russian withdrawal on March 30 and April 2nd when evidence of the murders surfaced.
    It can only mean one thing, that Russia lies to your face knowing full well that the evidence looks overwhelming. Its like the bully telling you the sky is green when it is clearly blue. By their account, no one was harmed. The physical destruction depicted in the photos could not take place without multiple casualties.
    Coveney wants to keep the lines of diplomatic communication open by keeping the Ambassador. What is the point when everything that Filatov says is a a bare faced lie.

    13
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