Cormac O'Keeffe: Irish neutrality in the spotlight as reality of war laid bare
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As the Dáil debated a motion supporting the right of Ukraine to exist, Putin’s Russia stepped up a gear in dismantling it.
Military experts predict that with the use of cruise missiles, as seen in Ukraine’s second-biggest city, allegations of cluster bombs being deployed, and fears of an all-out assault on Kyiv, the destruction and death will mount.
Putting forward his motion for the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine, Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney clearly laid out the charges against Russia.
Putin’s army had violated the sovereignty of Ukraine; flagrantly violated the UN charter; bombed cities and laid siege to Kyiv; forced 650,000 people to “flee for refuge”; and threatened the use of nuclear weapons.
Mr Coveney said the bombing of Kharkiv “cannot be tolerated”.
The minister also backed a statement from a judge of the International Criminal Court that he was opening an investigation into alleged war crimes.
On Tuesday, the UN High Commission for Human Rights said that by midnight on Monday, there were 536 casualties. This included 136 civilians killed, 13 of them children, and 400 people injured, 26 of whom were children.
Mr Coveney said he was horrified by what was happening and it was important to formally record solidarity with Ukraine.
He said that while our military neutrality prevented the Government from providing lethal weapons to Ukraine, it had agreed to provide medical supplies, protective gear, and fuel.
He pointed out that other EU neutral countries, Austria and Malta, had taken a similar position.
He did not add that, in both of those countries, neutrality is enshrined in their constitutions or founding treaties.
It is stated in the 2015 white paper on defence. In 2020, the programme for government stated that under the European Peace Facility, “Ireland will not be part of decision-making or funding for lethal force weapons for non-peacekeeping purposes”.
However, it did not state that Ireland on its own cannot provide lethal weaponry, even as a symbolic measure.
In recent days, the militarily neutral/non-aligned states of Sweden and Finland made the historic decision to provide weapons to Ukraine.
Speaker after speaker following Mr Coveney — including from the ‘anti-Nato’ parties on the left — expressed the same horror about the brutal aggression of Putin, the destruction of Ukraine, and the need to “stand” with its people.
Sinn Féin said Ireland more than most knew the impact of occupation and imperialist aggression.
Party leader Mary Lou McDonald quoted James Larkin that there was "no humane type of war" and said that, given Ireland’s military neutrality, our response should be solely political and diplomatic.
Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin said the House had heard some talk along the lines: “Putin is evil, but what about...”
He added: “There is no space for whataboutery,” and said Putin’s ambition was to create a “super-Russia”.
Fine Gael’s Charlie Flanagan, chairman of the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee, said Ireland had the luxury of being in the shadow of Nato. He said Ireland had been bystanders in security and defence but said this approach was no longer credible.
In a passionate speech, Richard Boyd Barrett condemned as “horrendous and barbaric” the actions of Putin and supported the right of Ukrainians to resist.
However, he said certain parties were using the crisis to push for militarisation and said that while it did not excuse Putin, what was happening in Ukraine was “absolutely inevitable” given the eastward expansion of Nato.
Paul Murphy, likewise, condemned Putin but said he opposed war and the expansion of Nato.
Fine Gael’s Neale Richmond said words of solidarity were not enough and called for Irish Defence Forces anti-tank weapons to be provided.
Brian Leddin of the Green Party said the “sacred cow” of neutrality had been shaken. He said his party has long been a firm opponent of militarisation, but said they no longer had that luxury.
Independent TD Cathal Berry, who has called on Ireland to supply anti-tank weapons to Ukraine, accepted that under the programme for government, there was a political agreement not to supply lethal weapons for a war.
He predicted that over the coming days, the Government “may have to amend that”.
Hours before the debate, Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy broke the reality down for assembled members of the European Parliament.
“For some people, today is their last one,” he said. “We are fighting for our lives, our freedom, our survival.”
To the EU, he said: “Prove to us that you won’t let us down.”