Ireland to share investigation results on alumina exports to Russia with EU

Ireland will share the findings of an investigation by its Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment into exports to Russia of alumina, which could be used in the Russian military-industrial complex, with the European Commission.

Source: Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheál Martin at a joint press conference with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, as quoted by Ukrinform and reported by European Pravda

Details: Martin noted that the EU has never imposed sanctions on alumina exports. He added, however, that the investigation into its export from Ireland, including from the Aughinish Alumina plant, which is part of Russia's Rusal group, is almost complete.

The prime minister said that the investigation had found no specific or conclusive evidence linking alumina to a weapons manufacturer in Russia. He added, however, that no country has conclusive evidence that alumina could not be reaching arms manufacturers, and that, as a result, Ireland is now going to share the findings of the investigation with the European Commission.

Martin explained this move by saying that trade in alumina is strategically important and that European supply chains depend on it.

He added that Ireland will work with the European Commission on how to resolve this issue, since it does not want the material to reach Russia. He noted that the company insists the material will not reach weapons manufacturers, but said that while it is very difficult to prove that this is not the case, it is just as difficult to prove that it is.

Background:

• Three weeks earlier, during Zelenskyy's visit to Dublin, Martin said his country was already concluding an investigation into reports of exports to Russia of alumina – a raw material used in aluminium production.
• This issue had also drawn the attention of the European Commission.

Your support on Patreon helps us keep the news free and accessible.