Ok I want to chime in here and clarify a few things. 1. Aughinish Alumina was originally developed by the Canadian company Alcan. It was later acquired by the commodities trader Glencore in 1999. In 2007, Glencore sold Aughinish to Rusal, the Russian aluminium giant founded and controlled by Oleg Deripaska. The sale was a commercial deal between private companies. Ireland did not yet have the foreign direct investment screening mechanisms that many European countries use today to scrutinize strategic acquisitions. Ireland was operating under EU single-market and foreign-investment rules, there was no special Irish government approval process for a transaction like this at the time. 2. Ireland cannot unilaterally ban most exports to Russia. Foreign trade (including sanctions against Russia) is an EU competence, not a purely national one. That means, Ireland cannot independently impose a general ban on exporting alumina to Russia if the EU has not sanctioned it. Companies in Ireland must comply primarily with EU sanctions regulations, which are directly binding law across all member states. So if alumina is not on the EU sanctions list, the Irish government cannot simply decide “stop exporting this to Russia” without an EU-wide measure. 3. To stop exports to Russia in a legally robust way, one of these would be required: EU-wide sanctions explicitly covering alumina or related aluminium inputs! Or a specific EU decision restricting trade with entities like Rusal-linked supply chains! Or evidence-based designation of end-use for military purposes triggering tighter export controls! 4. Apply pressure to the EU, not to Ireland. Slagging off the Irish won't work even if it is entertaining to watch. We're thick skinned and slag the living fuck out of each other for fun. Insults are a form of flattery here. So thank you all for that! 5. This is the last I will have to say on the matter. I wish the #Alumina21 the best of luck but I gave up activism a long time ago so I could direct all my energies at fundraising for groups involved in deleting orcs, their equipment or otherwise supporting the Ukrainian military. I hope you will join me in this endeavour. As always I recommend @Y_Chornomorets for sniper groups that get results, @wilendhornets for Sting interceptors for air defence, @69thSB for trucks for Ukrainian military units and Irish lad @Hannuska2109 does great work supporting Rugby Team drone unit (part of Phoenix Group) with whatever they need!