The Government is not “at that point” where a commitment can be made about the deployment of Irish troops to Ukraine, the Tánaiste has said.
Yesterday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said any peace deal that ends the war in Ukraine would have to contain security guarantees for Kyiv.
He added that this would require an American “backstop”, reported by the BBC to mean “air support, logistics and intelligence capabilities” from the US military.
London indicated that British troops could be deployed as part of a multinational peacekeeping mission along the Ukrainian-Russian border.
We are facing a once in a generation moment for the collective security of our continent.
This is the time for us all to step up. pic.twitter.com/tG7WBv7HMI
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) February 17, 2025
However, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has described the idea of sending troops as "completely premature" and Simon Harris was equally coy.
“We have a process that has to be followed in considering any mission,” he said ahead of today’s Cabinet meeting.
“It obviously involves the United Nations, it involves the Government and it involves the Oireachtas.
“We’re simply not at that point yet.”
I just had a long conversation with President of France @EmmanuelMacron following his meeting today with other European leaders to discuss the global situation, the state of affairs in Europe, and security guarantees for Ukraine.
We share a common vision: security guarantees…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 17, 2025
Former Irish Ambassador to Britain Bobby McDonagh said any deployment would raise huge questions about Ireland’s neutrality.
“We have to address the issue more seriously,” he said.
“But it’s a difficult issue for the Government, because if the Government were to call into question our military neutrality, the whole debate would explode domestically.”
Soldiers of the Irish Army on the Curragh Plains in County Kildare . Photo: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ieCurrently, any deployment of more than 12 Irish soldiers to battlezones must comply with the so-called ‘Triple Lock’.
It means the deployment must have the consent of the Government, Dáil Éireann and the United Nations.
As Russia is a permanent member of the UN Security Council, any deployment of Irish troops could be vetoed by Moscow.
The Programme for Government promised “reform” of the Triple Lock, while maintaining “our values and policy of active military neutrality.”
Any change to the Triple Lock would require legislation to be passed by the Oireachtas.
Irish soldiers in Kildare. Photographer: Eamonn Farrell / RollingNews.iePeople Before Profit’s Richard Boyd Barret said his party fears any deployment would not be genuine ‘peacekeeping’.
“Our big concern about the various treaties that advanced the project of EU militarisation and what we would consider an embryonic European Army is that they move from phrases like ‘peacekeeping’ to ‘peace enforcement’,” he said.
Talks between Russia and the United States on a peace deal are currently underway in Saudi Arabia.
Main image: Split of Irish and Ukrainian soldiers. Pictures by: Alamy.com
