It’s been confirmed that the Donegal TD Joe McHugh has been included on the list of Irish politicians that Vladimir Putin has banned from Russia.
The list includes politicians from Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Labour Party. No politicians from Sinn Féin or the Green Party have been named.
It’s also reported that Donegal Fianna Fail Senator Niall Blaney is on the blacklist.
The Kremlin said earlier this week that 52 “key representatives” from Ireland had been placed on a sanction list for expressing what it claimed was Russophobic sentiment.
Deputy Joe McHugh says his work as Chair of the Committee on European Union Affairs was the reason for his inclusion on the list.
The Fine Gael TD says the Department of Foreign Affairs provided confirmation to him earlier that he was among the Irish politicians that was banned from Russia.
