Fianna Fáil MEP Billy Kelleher has welcomed Kerry Group’s decision to suspend its operations in Russia and calls on all Irish companies to stop doing business with the country while the war continues.
MEP Kelleher was speaking to Karen Coleman, EuroParlRadio in the European Parliament in Strasbourg today (April 5), and said that every other company that is involved in Russia must stop business with the country.
Kerry Group yesterday (April 4) announced that it suspended its operations in Russia and Belarus. The suspension, the company said, will be handled in an orderly manner, and it will continue to pay its employees and fulfil its legal obligations during the period of the suspension.
MEP Kelleher had recently called for Kerry Group to stop its operations in Russia in a written communication to the company’s chief executive, Edmond Scanlon.
Until there is a full ceasefire, a peace settlement and an agreement, MEP Kelleher added, no Irish company should be doing business with Russia. He explained:
“The fact that we have seen war crimes on the streets of Ukraine indicates that any entity, regardless of why it is there, could be interpreted by the Putin regime as acceptance of these atrocities.”
Sanctions against Russia currently in place are not having the desired effect, he said, therefore, until we stop purchasing oil, coal and particularly gas from Russia, we will be continuing to underpin its economy.
MEP Kelleher added that sanctions have to be taken “to another stage”, and the absolute dependency on Russian gas needs to be reduced.
Otherwise, he said, “we will continue to fund Putin and he will be able to continue his war crimes in Ukraine”.
“Russia must realise that if they continue on this path, they will lose access to western products and services they have come to enjoy,” the MEP said.