Micheál Martin is determined to finish off Irish neutrality. This is the main reason why he took on the portfolio of Defence alongside Foreign affairs.
His latest move is to attend an ‘informal’ Defence Ministers meeting in Toledo, Spain. The main purpose is to coordinate EU interventions in Ukraine and Niger.
The EU is pushing for greater arms supplies to Ukraine and this explains why Martin has ordered the Irish army to provide weapons training for the Ukrainian army. This runs totally against a policy of neutrality.
The other item of the EU Defence Ministers meeting is Niger, which is less well known. France, the old colonial power, has been thrown out of Niger after a military coup.
The coup had popular support because it overthrew a pro-Western government. Nonetheless, army coups are not the way to defeat Western imperialism as the generals involved often have an ambiguous relationship with the big powers.
However, the key issue is this: why is a neutral country like Ireland discussing plans to restore French influence in Niger? Why is a Minister from a neutral country joining a cabal of EU Ministers to plot an intervention?
It is up to the people of Niger to deal with the army generals – not the EU backing up a French project to restore its influence.
Micheál Martin is a disgrace to Irish neutrality. The sooner he is booted out of office the better.