The government has introduced a one-sided resolution in the Dail on the Ukraine crisis and is trying to pretend that everyone is united on their opposition.
The resolution rightly opposes Russian aggression but it says nothing about the role of NATO in the conflict.
The resolution fails to honestly acknowledge that the government’s main strategy is to erode Irish neutrality. It is using the Ukraine crisis to push Ireland towards more EU battle groups and eventually a full-scale EU army.
Just as the German government has used the crisis to overturn restrictions on its military spending, the Irish government is also seeking to increase military spending.
People Before Profit calls for solidarity with the Russian anti-war movement and supports humanitarian aid for the people of Ukraine.
But it is putting it up to all parties in Dail Eireann to re-affirm that Ireland is a militarily neutral country and will not be joining any military alliance.
Here is our amendment. We will keep you posted on the voting.
- Calls for Ireland to provide increased humanitarian aid for the people of Ukraine and for Ireland to offer refuge for all people fleeing the war.
- Condemns the arrests and persecution of anti-war protestors by Putin and the Russian state, salutes the bravery of the growing anti-war protests in Russia, and calls for support across the world for further mobilisation of anti-war movements in Russia and worldwide as the best hope for a peaceful resolution of the conflict and avoidance of the risk of war between major powers.
- Notes the risk of nuclear conflict out of Ukraine and calls on NATO to deescalate its military presence and withdraw battle-groups and missiles in Eastern Europe.
- Reaffirms that Ireland is a militarily neutral state, that it will maintain a policy of non-membership of military alliances, that it will not participate in any war or armed conflict nor aid foreign powers in any way in preparation for or in the conduct of war or armed conflict, including through the mechanism of the European Union, without prior assent of Dáil Éireann.