Urmas Paet, deputy head of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, has urged the European Commission to investigate whether materials processed at the Aughinish Alumina plant in County Limerick are being used in Russia's ongoing war with Ukraine. His call comes after a report commissioned by the Irish government stated it found no evidence that Russia was manufacturing weapons from materials produced at the facility.
Paet stated that unanswered questions remain and that the European Commission should clarify the situation. "On the one hand, the Irish Government says one thing. On the other hand, documents show something else. It is obvious there is ongoing business with Russia. There is no doubt," Paet told the Irish Mail on Sunday. He added, "I have seen all the documents which shows this and they say part of their [Aughinish Alumina’s] exporting is in relation to Russia."
He further expressed that if the company is not exporting to Russia, this should be made clear, as he has not seen convincing material to support a complete absence of business dealings with Russia. Ireland currently holds the EU Presidency, and Paet suggested the nation has a moral duty to lead by example.
Up to 1,000 people are employed at the Aughinish Alumina plant, which is Europe's largest alumina refinery. An additional 900 people work with firms connected to the plant. The refinery is owned by the Russian company Rusal, whose co-founder Oleg Deripaska is an associate of Vladimir Putin. Deripaska was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2018 and by the UK government in 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Reports indicate that at least 50% of the alumina processed at the plant is exported to Russia. Concerns have been raised in recent months that some of this alumina could be used by Russian arms companies to produce weapons. Previously, it was reported that Ireland was among the few EU countries that had not implemented EU laws imposing significant penalties against those breaching sanctions imposed on Russia.