Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin claimed on May 29 that including Aughinish Alumina in the EU's next round of sanctions would be "self-defeating," harming Europe's economy more than Russia's — despite evidence that the factory is supplying materials to produce weapons used in Ukraine.

The Irish factory Aughinish Alumina has been shipping the bulk of its product to Russia, despite claims from Dublin that the plant primarily serves the European Union, the Irish Times reported on May 30.

The new data undermines Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin’s arguments against sanctioning the plant, Ireland’s only producer of alumina, in the EU’s next package of sanctions against Russia. Previously, Martin said restrictions on Aughinish Alumina would cause more harm to the EU than to Russia.

But in the first quarter of 2026, 83% of Ireland’s alumina exports went to Russia, according to figures obtained by the Irish Times. This amounts to 200,619 tons, the largest exports since the outbreak of the full-scale war in 2022.

cross-posted from: https://sopuli.xyz/post/46653035