The Russian Federation’s denials of their heinous bombing of a maternity hospital in Mariupol last week, which killed and wounded women and children at their most vulnerable, is a shocking reminder of just how sinister disinformation can be.

Pegasus is a military grade spyware tool developed and licensed by an Israeli company, the NSO Group. It was used in different countries to target smartphones belonging to journalists, human rights activists, and opposition figures, and has been “widely misused”, according to an investigation by journalism non-profit organisation Forbidden Stories, released in July 2021.

Seán Kelly, MEP for Ireland South, has welcomed the European Parliament’s endorsement of candidate status for Ukraine. “The European Parliament has voted overwhelmingly in favour of granting EU candidate status to Ukraine,” MEP Kelly stated, “I am calling on all EU institutions to work together to make this a reality as soon as feasible.”

The five Fine Gael MEPs have strongly condemned Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine and the barbaric violence inflicted on children, women and men there. Seán Kelly, Frances Fitzgerald, Deirdre Clune, Maria Walsh and Colm Markey will be voting in full support of Ukraine during today’s European Parliament extraordinary plenary session in Brussels.

“I am disappointed that Minister Ryan did not respond to my initial letter in calling for a Hydrogen Strategy, but the matter is even more pressing now as we continue to lose ground on our competitors the longer it takes us to get our act together.