EU leaves Irish alumina out of Russia sanctions despite war supply-chain fears

The EU stopped short of sanctioning alumina exports as part of its 21st sanctions package targeting Russia on Tuesday, despite mounting pressure following an OCCRP investigation into alumina from Ireland’s Aughinish plant feeding into the supply chain of Russia’s war machine. 

Speaking during an official visit to Dublin on Tuesday, Commission Vice-President and Europe’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas said the Irish government was conducting an investigation into whether Irish alumina, the raw material used to produce aluminum, is ending up in Russian weapons used in Ukraine:

“No European products should end up in drones or missiles that kill Ukrainian civilians."

"The investigations are ongoing and for us it’s important that we get the facts straight. Now we are trusting the Irish government to do these investigations."

Ireland’s Foreign Minister Helen McEntee told reporters at the same press conference that her cabinet maintains firm support for Ukraine and that the government confirmed it would work directly with the EU Commission and share all information as part of its ongoing investigation into Aughinish Alumina’s supply chain.

“We will ensure that any decisions that need to be taken to put pressure on Russia, that they will have the full support of Ireland,” she said. 

The investigation, which is expected to be completed this month, comes as Kallas travelled to Ireland to discuss the country’s assumption of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. 

“Ireland’s proud tradition of military neutrality is not in question, but neutrality does not provide immunity from the threats Europe faces today,” Kallas told reporters. 

Kallas also met Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin and other Ministers, to further discuss reports that Aughinish Alumina plant is feeding the Russian military supply chain.

Aughinish has insisted it complies with “all applicable European Union laws, including sanctions, export control measures and trade regulations,” and has denied that the alumina it refines in Ireland is making its way into Russian weapons. 

Martin told OCCRP’s investigative partner on the story, the Irish Times that the Department of Enterprise investigation was not finished but “we will obviously discuss that and other matters because obviously sanctions are an EU competence and that’s the context in which we’ll discuss it.”

A ban on alumina exports to Russia would require unanimous approval from all of Europe’s 27 member states. 

“We need all the countries to agree. We don’t have that," said Kallas in response to a question from a reporter in attendance on why alumina exports to Russia were not subject to sanctions in the most recent package. 

Pressure from governments to sanction Russian exports of the critical raw materials continue to mount. 

A campaign called alumina21.com, which started to raise the issue of alumina exports to Russia from the Aughinish Alumina refinery states that 75 members of European Parliament from 15 member states have pledged support for sanctions. 

On X, Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, said on Monday that “recent investigations into alumina exports raise serious concerns about European-produced materials entering supply chains linked to Russia’s military-industrial complex.”. 

On Monday, Margus Tsahkna, Estonia’s foreign minister, said the Baltic country had called for a ban on EU exports of alumina to Russia in the latest batch of proposed sanctions. “The EU must not export goods to Russia that can support its military industry or help sustain its aggression against Ukraine,” he wrote on X. 

Tsahkna said European countries “must not export goods to Russia that can support its military industry or help sustain its aggression against Ukraine”. He also concluded that: “We must close every loophole and further weaken Russia’s war machine.”