Key facts
- Ireland's Aughinish Alumina plant, owned by Russian company Rusal, exports overwhelmingly to Russia.
- The plant's products have reportedly been found in Russian weapons used in Ukraine.
- An investigation into the plant's links to weapons manufacturers reportedly found no definitive evidence.
- Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee declined to commit to sanctioning the plant.
- The EU is considering its 22nd package of sanctions against Russia, potentially including 1,600 listings.
- Finland's Foreign Minister expressed openness to sanctioning aluminum, citing Russia's "war economy."
Ireland's Foreign Minister Helen McEntee has sidestepped questions regarding the inclusion of the Russian-owned Aughinish Alumina plant in an upcoming European Union sanctions package. The plant's products have reportedly been found in Russian weapons used in Ukraine, prompting calls for its sanctioning.
Data published in May indicated that the Aughinish Alumina plant, owned by Russian company Rusal, exports predominantly to Russia. The Irish government had initially expressed concerns that sanctioning the plant would be more detrimental to the EU than to Russia. However, they later agreed to an investigation into the matter.
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin stated that the report from the investigation has been provided to the European Commission and Ukraine, and that "no concrete or definitive evidence linking the alumina to a weapons manufacturer in Russia" was found. McEntee confirmed the report's submission and stated that Ireland would work with Ukraine on the matter.
Ukraine has previously urged Russia to be "deprived of access" to alumina. The discussion comes as the EU considers its 22nd sanctions package against Russia, which could include a record 1,600 listings. Ireland has consistently supported previous sanctions packages.
Estonia's Foreign Minister had proposed including alumina in the 21st sanctions package, but it was ultimately excluded, suggesting a veto by an EU member state. While Ireland has not admitted to a veto, it is the only country with a clear interest in blocking such sanctions.
Following McEntee's remarks, Finland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen indicated that Finland remains open to sanctioning aluminum, describing Russia as a "war economy" and emphasizing the need to explore all options.