Funchion said Sinn Féin continues to support the provision of humanitarian aid to Ukraine but the proposed €90 billion EU loan was “primarily for military expenditure”. This, she said, “undermines Ireland’s neutrality”.
Cowen described Sinn Féin’s neutrality argument as “flawed and cynical”, saying: “Supporting Ukraine is about upholding the right of a sovereign country to protect its civilians … while drawing a clear moral line between defence and aggression. Neutrality was never meant to mean moral indifference.”
Doherty hit back, saying: “Ireland’s neutrality is not about moral indifference, nor does it prevent us from standing firmly against aggression or supporting victims of war. What it does mean is that Ireland does not participate in military alliances or in the financing of war.”
Yeah, Sinn Féin is totally wrong here. How are you “standing firmly” against aggression by standing by and doing nothing?
It’s like seeing a bully beating on a weak victim and instead of handing the victim a bat to defend themselves you just wait until the victim is beaten then treat their wounds.
Neutrality in the face of one sided agression is not neutral, its bootlicking evil.
How can they officially support the military fight to free the (north) eastern part of a country from occupation? If they do, everybody will ask why they don’t support it for Northern Ireland. They have spent some effort to convince the public that they are a peaceful party and not the IRA. Where should they draw the line that the fight is justified for Ukraine but not for Ireland?
Ireland and Austria are using their “neutrality” to weasel out of responsibility. It’s politically practical. The Austrian chancellor has already said that if an EU country is attacked, they will do the absolute minimum by giving logistical and humanitarian aid and nothing else, which they are forced to do thanks to EU law. Theres neutrality and there’s bootlicking an aggressor, appeasement does not work. Standing up to an aggressor, who is attacking proactively IS NEUTRAL.