Mick Wallace slams Taoiseach on Ukraine comments as he takes aim at 'warmongering' NATO

The Irish MEP, who has previously called for a campaign to abolish NATO, criticised Mr Martin who had described the situation in Ukraine as “very serious” during a meeting of his parliamentary party on Wednesday.

Mr Wallace tweeted: “Has the Taoiseach forgotten when the warmongering #NATO bombed #Serbia for no good reason killing thousands...? - All for what? Just to suit a Neoliberal agenda that offered nothing to the people of Serbia or Kosovo...?”

The tweet followed Mr Martin’s meeting when he told those gathered: “We are seeing mass militarisation and we have seen nothing like this since [the second World War].”

“Everyone in Europe is vulnerable to this aggression and we cannot accept it.”

Mr Martin raised concern at the prospect of a “severe escalation” which would have “devastating consequences” that would impact on global stability, economies and inflation.

All departments and agencies have been asked to develop contingency plans in response to this crisis, Mr Martin said.

In an earlier tweet, Deputy Wallace had said that only a full scale war between Russia and Ukraine would "satisfy" NATO as he called for its abolition.

“Only a full scale War between #Russia and #Ukraine would satisfy #NATO - The people of Europe must campaign for the abolition of NATO - It has nothing good to offer anyone that prefers Peace to War,” he tweeted.

The tweet generated a mixed reaction among his followers with one replying: “Mate, we are currently seeing the acute threat that Russia poses to nations within Europe. The NATO is for the Baltic states and (to a lesser degree) Poland the only thing standing between them and Russian aggression.”

Another added: “Russia just invaded a sovereign nation, read the room.”

However, one other agreed: “Look at it from Russia point of view. After Hitler attacked in 1941, the NATO threat in Ukraine to them is very real!”

In a speech to the European Parliament last week, Mr Wallace - an Independent MEP for Ireland South - strongly criticised NATO and the United States, who he accused of "warmongering."

"We have had three months of this farce now and the line between the real and the imaginary is blurred," Mr Wallace said.

However, Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Andrews accused his counterpart of "making excuses for Russia" under the protection of the very democracy it is trying to destroy.

Speaking to RTÉ One's European Parliament Report, Mr Andrews said NATO was "trying to stop a war".

He said: "Mick is trying to fight the last war around Iraq, where NATO and US were using fake information to justify a way. Now Russia is using fake information to try to start a war and we have to call that out at every opportunity."

The Dublin MEP added: "The far-left in the European Parliament (which includes Mr Wallace's speech) and the far-right seem to be reading from the exact same talking points.

"They are making excuses for Russia which is trying to destroy democracy in the EU and they are making those excuses under the protection of the very democracy that Russia is seeking to destroy."