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Martin urges evidence on bomb threats amid warning about Russia

Ireland's prime minister also addresses sanctions on Aughinish Alumina and clarifies that no drone-production deal has been agreed with Ukraine.

Channel: RTÉ News ·

IrelandStory of November 13, 2026Trari Newsroom

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Russia wants 'war-weary' Europe, Taoiseach says | RTÉ News

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0:14Martin calls for a common European voice on Ukraine and defends the coalition of the willing.
2:24He says a ceasefire must come before negotiations.
2:56Sanctions questions centre on Aughinish Alumina and the balance between European industrial needs and restricting Russia's war capabilities.
4:26Drone discussions concern surveillance and Ukrainian technological expertise; Martin says no deal has been agreed.
5:20Asked about hoax bomb threats, Martin urges careful attribution and discusses cybersecurity, intelligence sharing and Russian hybrid activity.
6:31He presents the summit as a forum for protecting democracy and strengthening Ireland's international standing.

Hoax bomb threats require investigation, not attribution based on a hunch, Micheál Martin says, while warning that Russia wants to wear down Europe's resolve over Ukraine.

Speaking after the European Political Community summit at Dublin's Convention Centre, Ireland's Taoiseach, or prime minister, says a substantial amount of recent hybrid activity can be traced to Russia. But he stresses the need for due diligence in identifying those responsible for particular incidents. The Kremlin denies involvement in the recent threats.

"Russia is anxious to undermine morale within Europe generally, develop a war-weary kind of continent," Martin says in the interview broadcast by Ireland's public broadcaster, Raidió Teilifís Éireann, on RTÉ News. He points to cybersecurity and intelligence sharing as elements of the response.

The discussion also tests how European support for Ukraine translates into practical decisions. Martin argues that Europe needs a common voice in peace negotiations, while defending the effectiveness of the coalition of the willing. His position on sequencing is explicit: "Our view is there has to be a ceasefire first."

On sanctions, the interviewer presses him about Aughinish Alumina, the Rusal-owned refinery on the Shannon Estuary in County Limerick, questioning whether its output supports Russia's military. Martin says European industrial supply chains must be considered alongside efforts to restrict Russia's war capabilities, and describes engagement with the European Commission on sanctions packages.

"We don't want the materials from Aughinish going into the Russian war machine," he says, while warning against damaging Europe's own industrial capacity.

Martin also qualifies suggestions of Irish-Ukrainian drone co-production. There has been engagement, he says, but no deal. He describes the focus as surveillance and learning from Ukraine's technological advances, rather than mass manufacturing.