If being an unaligned country with a large army is no deterrent to Putin's ambitions is it time for ROI to join Nato?
DPER has decided that we will not join NATO. Small increase in Defence spending will be permitted for cosmetic political purposes.
Is it not a requirement of NATO that in order to join that the nation has to have a capable military to even apply. Sounds like Finland and Sweden are having difficulties again. Not a quick process
More like Turkey wants US weapons.
That is your opinion which as usual is very anti EU. I differ and would support seeing Ireland become part of any future EU defense force.
Yes indeed Russia did conduct the cyber attack on the Irish health care system that cost us up to 100m euro never mind the damage it did with the disruptions it caused. You are correct in naming the wizard spider as it is his St Petersburg Russia based criminal group who carried out the attack. The idea that the Russian government does not know exactly what this group was and is doing is utterly risible. Like many governments using groups like this to carry out attacks allows them to claim distance from the attack.
It's laughable. if it was not sanctioned the group would be underground already.
Just as a point of fact, some NATO countries were in Afghanistan in a non-combat capacity. Turkey for instance (mostly for political reasons) were there training Afghanistan security forces and not in a combat posture. Just as the Irish Army Ranger wing was.
Iceland and Luxembourg similarly were present in a non-combat capacity. Just as Ireland was.
That was both a Security Council mandated mission, and for NATO members, an Article 5 collective defence mission.
Exactly, they just want to upgrade their F-16's and don't really care if Finland and Sweden join or not. But the whole process of joining Nato is a joke - 30 members who have to unanimously ratify new members, which gives dictators like Erdogan a playground for making demands that have nothing to do with Nato membership.
Yeah it's mad alright. I understand members wanting to vote on more joining as that is more ppl that could need intervention. But when all said and done those new members are on the hook to defend you also. So the more in the more defence.
Ok, so no actual evidence for this conspiracy theory?
Of course you would, the EUs abject performance in supporting Ukraine would convince any sceptic that a military alliance headed by France and Germany would be a mighty bulwark for small Europeans nations threatened by Russian expansionism
But I suppose the motto of the Irish EUphile has always been "Ask not what your unelected commissioners can do you for you - but what you can do for your unelected commissioners" π
Good news that Ireland is doing this. An absolute no brainer IMHO especially considering the recent Russian cyber attack on the Irish health service.
Russian troops out camping on the Ukraine border. No way they will attack.
Very much agree with you.No reason we can't do both in terms of dealing with issues like our housing problems and developing a capable defense and security force.
The belief of the Irish government is good enough for me. I guess not so for you.
Well your hatred for the EU comes across pretty clearly there. No ambiguity at all. I on the other hand believe that on balance while far from perfect the EU is and has been a positive for Ireland and I am happy to see us part of the collective and the gain the benefits of that membership that is the EU and also I believe we should do our part to defend the collective that is the EU and not be freeloaders and leave it to others.
That's evidence that the Russians masterminded the HSE cyber attack? Really?
"Conti ransom ware gang behind the HSE attack last year was itself a victim of a hack, by a Ukrainian among its ranks, last month.
Internal communications leaked by the hacker strongly suggested the Conti gang was an extension of the Russian state, he added."
Strongly suggested, right ok that's that sorted so lol. Like I said, this type of tripe belongs in the Conspiracy thread.
Jesus. Next you will be telling us they did not shoot down MH17
Nice try, deflection at it's best. Show me some proper evidence that it was the Russian state that orchestrated the HSE attack, not silly sentences that "strongly suggest" it or please stop posting your unsubstantiated nonsense.
Unfortunately people discuss such matters on a discussion forum.
Did Russia attack the HSE strong evidence. you disagree.
Did Russia shoot down mh17 ?
Did Russia cause the salisbury poisoning ?
Largest Embassy in the EU in Ireland just happens that we have all the American companies here. Wanted to extend it not upto anything apparently.
More deflection, without any evidence it's just a conspiracy theory similar to the one that suggests the Americans took down the Twin Towers themselves, all nonsense and belongs in the relevant conspiracy theory threads.
No deflection at all. The USA is the only country that has a bigger Embassy staff do you not find that odd. A little Island is 2nd on the list for Russian Interest's. Care to answer the other points I mentioned in your defence of Russia.
Ok so again, no actual evidence. Without any evidence it's a conspiracy theory, you have offered nothing to suggest otherwise. My "defence of Russia", stop with that nonsense, next you'll be calling game a Putin bot. I have no love for Russia but I'm calling you out on your nonsense posts. I'm not defending anything except the integrity of the forum. Now unless you can put forward any kind of evidence (you have posted nothing yet) I'm done answering you ok.
There is an Ignore function I will only respond to you in the future if you mention me if that's fair enough for you. As for the Integrity of the forum I believe there are mods for that.
I have a final question for you. You may reply to this or not.
Have you any reply to the other issues I raised as they are a worry for NATO as per the thread title.
MH17, salisbury, Ireland having the 2nd largest amount of Russian "Diplomats"
Well I would add in again as I did above that the Irish government firmly believes that the criminal gang in Russia that attack the Irish health service is an extension of the Russian state. That I guess is not good enough for some but for me if the Irish government believe we were cyber attacked by the Russians then I believe them.
Really? Can you provide a link to any articles that say the Irish government "firmly believe" that the criminal gang is an extension of the Russian state please.
Wonder who it is! It's we have to act completely brain dead until something beyond proved, we are capable of making fairly accurate guesses based on what we do know and you d have to really love the Russians to believe that it didn't come from there.
The government freely acknowledged ( be it Donnolly, Reid, Humphries, Varadkar etc) in public numerous times about the ransom demands and that we were not paying and who it was who did it. It's not exactly esoteric knowledge. Within a short period of the Russians attack on the HSE this was all public knowledge. But you I would say know all that and are instead engaging in a little game of moving the goalposts to avoid acknowledging the fact that Russia is a very clear and present danger to Ireland as demonstrated by their cyber attack on the Irish health service.
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