Russia - threadbanned users in OP

I'm not sure what Switzerland in the 1940s has to do with the West attacking Ukraine in 2022? If we're going down that sort of route, then there is De Valera and Hitler...Also if Ireland were located where Switzerland is and Switzerland were in the North Sea, maybe things would have been different.

Some European countries, of which Switzerland is one but not the only one, are neutral but back that neutrality up with well resourced armed forces. Switzerland has agreed to buy a heap of F35 fighter jets for example. Part of the reasoning is that it is easier to remain neutral when you are beholden to no-one - ie you can guarantee your own self-defence. Other countries, like NZ where I'm from, but also Ireland, rely to a certain extent (NZ => Australia, Ireland => GB I imagine) on other countries to guarantee their defence. If Ireland relies on the UK for a defence, it is a bit harder for Ireland to remain neutral should the UK attack another country and Ireland isn't in agreement. Switzerland on the other hand is very well armed, so can more easily remain neutral.

Ireland - popn roughly 5M. Armed forces 8'751 budget €780M (GDP 0.27%)

Switzerland - popn roughly 8M. Armed forces 21'000 (large reserve force though) budget €5 billion (GDP 0.68 %)

Which all does back to my original point that we have people giving out about other countries doing nothing, while Ireland is capable of contributing very little if at all to help Ukraine's armed forces. Ireland should in theory have a lot more investment in helicopters and a coastal navy, but relies on being an island, next to Britain, with no natural resources such as fossil fuels and minerals, to spend the minimum possible on defence. Fair enough, but you can't then go on about the other countries "doing nothing". Well you can, but you look like a hypocrite.

No idea what argument you're trying to make here.

Is it that Ireland and Irish people can't criticise other countries for not helping with their large and modern military; precisely because Ireland doesn't have a large and modern military? That makes literally no sense.

You might have a point if Ireland both had a large and modern military and also refused to send help to Ukraine. Which it doesn't; as you yourself so clearly pointed out.

There's no realistic separatist movement that could happen in Finland. More likely scenarios would be "unidentified" troops popping on the island of Gotland in Sweden, or the demilitarised Åland islands in Finland, or some partisan strikes on civilian/military infrastructure. There are likely to be Russian saboteurs in both countries.

Edit: Also, in 2015 Russia sent a lot of refugees to the border, to overwhelm the border crossings. You could see them doing something similar this time too, possibly with deported Ukrainians?

But of course, none of these will happen - Finland and Russia signed a friendship treaty in 1992, so they are friends. Surely Russia wouldn't violate an international treaty? 🙄

I think the whole idea of forcing tens of thousands of people to become will be a big hurdle to overcome when so many landlords are selling up and getting out of the Business all together,I said this would happen some minister jumps on the bandwagon and suggests we can easily take in 100,000 refugees from Ukraine in a few weeks ,

Yet we have a massive housing shortage and over 100,000 families waiting 11 + years for social housing ,but no thought has gone into this at all, which isn't fair on the Ukrainians or those already in desperate need for housing here ,we can fill all the hotels and Airbnbs but what will happen to our tourism industry when people can't book a room or Airbnb ,

It's probably a whole different thread

65K holiday homes could likely accommodate 385,000 refugeees. I get that you personally, and a whole bunch of people on the appropriate thread, actively don't want answers or solutions. You all are entitled to your opinions. I'ts a bit OT so I'll leave it for the other thread.

"Defense Minister: France will send additional military aid to Ukraine"

And at the same time they wanted their generals in senior nato command roles

Curious. My instinct is to believe Ukraine, given Germany's recent duplicitous inactions.

Yes you have a country literally fighting for their lives for a future in the European Union.

There could be absolutely no clearer validation of the benefits of EU membership that millions of Ukrainians are putting their lives on the line for such a future.

The cognitive dissonance for brexiteer types must be horrendous at the moment.