Role for Irish Defence Forces in Ukraine?

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120066255#Comment_120066255

Our constitutional notions about such matters are a fig leaf. They matter not a jot in the real world, we hide behind the skirts of the Brits and the Yanks as far as these things go. Relying on the goodwill of strangers.

So your answer is that you couldn't give a damn - if an aggressor did steamroll across Europe, we'd just sit tight, smile pretty and say oops when they arrive in Dublin port. At what point do you think that the state is worth defending? What is your threshold for sending Irish military to help intervene??

jonnybigwallet

It's a complete non starter. If the yanks and the brits ain't going in then we ain't....simple.

Gatling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120067914#Comment_120067914

Pretty low post,

Typical Irish bravado - we don't get into war remember we have a big skirt and the triple lock to hide behind, Sure even if we wanted to go to Ukraine the Russians would say no your not allowed.

And we bow our heads and thank you Mr putin.

We train soldiers to fight and kill if necessary, they are soldiers not council road sweepers ,there is always going to be inherent risks as a soldier that includes going to war ,it's there only real job when It comes down to it

Larbre34

Politics and diplomacy aside, if you or your family can't reconcile with the fact that there is a very small but nonetheless recognised risk of getting wounded or killed on joining any Military, even the Irish DF, then don't join up.

ohnonotgmail

what mandate would these soldiers fight under? there is no UN mandate and there is no declared state of war between russia and ireland.

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120068810#Comment_120068810

This is the whole point. Its so far beyond a non-starter its daft.

When the War ends there'll probably be a bunch of UN mandated missions to de-militarise and EOD the regions where the fighting took place and in that Ireland can offer help, but in the meantime, any foreign military on Ukrainian soil are just an excuse for Russia to widen the conflict.

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120068948#Comment_120068948

I know it is the point. the whole thread is nonsense.

Grassy Knoll

Post the end of this conflict- and it will come at some point - there could be a border monitoring / peacekeeping type role mandated via the UN etc. anyways we are a bit away from that just now …

Dohvolle

When this conflict ends, there will be similar breakouts of fighting around the other Russian Republics, keen on asserting their independence with the demise of the Russian Federation. The UN will be kept busy. If it still exists in its current format. Russian proxies will continue trying to destabilise things internationally. It'll be whack-a-mole. This is just the beginning. Sending a company of infantry from Ireland today or tomorrow will have no impact in the greater picture.

saabsaab

I don't understand how people are talking about declaraing war on Russia or other nonsense. Just helping Ukraine and support in non combat situations. If it happened it would be of a small nature and mainly symbolic.

Raichu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120068760#Comment_120068760

😂

get help.

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120069562#Comment_120069562

We are helping. We're sheltering 70,000+ of their women, kids and elderly folk and sending as much ballistic protective gear, medical supplies and ancillaries as we can manage.

I do not understand how you fail to see how little Ireland could assist Ukraine, in theatre, at this moment. The NATO powers are feeding them as much kit as they can handle, training and resource wise, without actually starting World War III.

The announcement yesterday of IFV and APC supply from Western Europe is an escalation of that help, in a carefully orchestrated strategy to stretch and squeeze Russian forces until they are pushed all the way back beyond their 2014 positions and eventually to their own borders. It is careful, methodical and gradual, so as not to widen the conflict and to just wear down Russia, of men and resources.

saabsaab

Putinn must be reading boards. The day after this thread went up he is looking for a ceasefire!

juliasmith

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120069562#Comment_120069562

Helping is what we can actually do, without even sending anyone to Ukraine. We can help refugees, save some animals or donate our old car to the people who can transform it in the medical car, which

juliasmith

CarDonate is a great project , our way of doing something good today for those who were unlucky and suffer attacks from the cruel neighbour. The brave soldiers are defending their country and freedom/sovereignty of the whole Europe and it is our duty to help them in the ways we can.

Townton

We would be of much more use getting on a 40 min flight to the UK and joining them and the dozens of other countries that are training Ukrainian recruits there. Thousands of them going through, we could assist and be of value there as well as actually learn from Ukrainian soldiers own experience.

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120238491#Comment_120238491

Apart from the fact that training the combatants of a foreign nation who are active in a third party conflict, is pretty much as blatant a violation of neutrality as there is.

Rations, helmets, body armour, field medicine kits. Thats all we do. Thats all we can do.

Maybe when the war is over and Ukrainian sovereignty has been fully restored, the Irish DF could help deal with mines and unexploded munitions, Lord knows there'll be enough work there for whoever wants it. But thats a post-War conversation.

65535

We are not 'neutral' - we don't have the armed power to be a neutral country like for example Sweden or Switzerland.

We are 'non-aligned' - we allowed the USSR to land here in Shannon during the cold war - we are now allowing the US Air Force the same.

If we were really commited to assisting Ukraine we would have at least one hospital ship with trained medical personell on board and set sail for the black sea.

All we can do is assist for the time being until the oligarch Putin is 'Put in' his rightful place.

saabsaab

The Government on Tuesday 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).

It is understood that these troops will train Ukrainian troops in demining.

The primary role of the Defence Forces will be to provide training to members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) in one or more EU Member States in which the training will take place. 

These trainers will be supplemented by a small number of staff positions based in the Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC) staff based in Brussels, Belgium and in the multi-national Special Training Command (STC) in Strausberg, Germany.

Speaking after the Government confirmed its approval for the Defence Forces’ participation, the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Micheál Martin said that the EUMAM Ukraine programme 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.”

Larbre34

#EU-MAMMY

aloyisious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120289268#Comment_120289268

Unless the demining training takes place after a cease-fire or termination of Russian hostilities in Ukraine, its likely the demining will benefit both sides in the Russian/Ukrainian conflict so the involvement of Irish DF Pers in the training might be seen as a neutral act. It all depends on whether the person looking at the work being done has, or has not, got an aggressive attitude to foreign army personnel doing such work on the ground where conflict is ongoing.

Larbre34

Thats a slightly simplified way of looking at the strategic situation.

Ukraine has what appears to be an ambitious and fairly undisguised counter-offensive planned for sometime in late Spring/Summer, once their armour and air defence / counter artillery situation is improved by pending deliveries from the West.

Depending on how bad the Russian regular units are, they could cut a swathe through occupied territory and begin quite rapidly reasserting their sovereign presence, in which case expert demining as they go will be vital and urgent.

Having Irish personnel training Ukrainian personnel in demining techniques and technologies, in a third Country like Germany or Poland has no bearing on neutrality one way or the other. We have a long history of training the trainers in active and post-conflict zones under a UN mandate and doing so is a humanitarian act, just as much as sending food, shelter and medical aid. It is to save lives, mostly civilians and inquisitive children, whose fate in the leftover minefields of history are well documented.