Ukraine's ambassador to Ireland says Russia could try to redraw the borders of Europe by force.
Larysa Gerasko will tell an Oireachtas committee today that Russia intends to 'seriously destabilise' Europe.
She says it now has 119,000 troops around Ukraine's borders - ahead of a possible invasion.
At least 145 Irish citizens are in Ukraine, and the government wants them to return home immediately.
European Affairs Minister, Thomas Byrne, has ruled out sending state aircraft to help.
"The Government wouldn't have aircraft available that would have the capacity for the amount of Irish people which are there.
"We're asking people to leave by commercial means and Poland is adjacent to Ukraine, people can leave and go there.
"That's the advice at the moment is simply to leave, the situation is too unstable at the moment, and the Irish government has limited resources in terms of getting people out."
