On Tuesday, 21 February 2023, The department of defence issued a statement which is sure to upset many Irish people. In its statement, which can be read in full on the gov.ie website, they said -
“The Irish government approved the participation of up to 30 Defence Forces’ personnel in the newly established European Union Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine).
Speaking after the government confirmed its approval for the Defence Forces’ participation, the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, Micheál Martin, said:
"EUMAM Ukraine will provide vital training support to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as well as the coordination of EU Member States’ activities delivering the training. Given Ireland’s steadfast support for Ukraine and the considerable experience our Defence Forces have in providing training both at home and overseas, the government regards the participation of the Defence Forces in this mission as an important signal of Ireland’s unwavering support for and solidarity with Ukraine." -
Irish people have long been proud of their neutral stance. It has been a stance which has in some part been a source of solace and a clean conscience for many people as the Irish watched from afar as their European and American partners committed a string of war crimes. In recent times, many Irish people expressed concerns about the direction the government is taking and claim that despite our supposed neutrality, successive Irish governments have ignored the Irish people by subtly jeopardising Irish neutrality in various ways. It appears todays statement will reaffirm those sentiments of betrayal.
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