Russia - threadbanned users in OP

The most likely scenario of Ireland being invaded by a foreign power would be by the UK itself. Historically, the only people who ever invaded Ireland were either those who came from that territory which comprises modern day UK or had a strong foothold there. Strategically, it would be a difficult place to invade and hold without having Britain boxed off to some degree or else having the UK on your side. Failing that, it's just not important or interesting enough to get to in a big and obvious military kind of way, although as a base for espionage would be a different story. Airstrikes on targets within Ireland that could be deemed strategically-significant by enemies would be the biggest concern, i.e. Shannon, but I think that in that event, weapons would be provided to Ireland in order to defend those sites, and it wouldn't be an altruistic gesture by our friends to the east or west, but very much in the interest of protecting their own military assets within Irish territory.

On a more positive note a report that the city of Kreminna is starting to be liberated from the russian invaders.

That is well thought through and makes some good points. I think it is much simpler than that - neutrality is very cheap, financially.

0.28% amnestied talk about a forlorn hope

Former President of Estonia says what he thinks of Swiss neutrality. I'd doff my hat to him if I wore one.

Countries should just send what they have now and worry about arguing with all the nyet wan​kers some other year. My bet is that Switzerland wouldn't dare to go to court and expose it's vile essence to the full glare of the world's media and opprobrium.

I understand the differences in complexity between say Transport / Trucks etc, and Military / Tanks. / Weapon systems. I was in that line of business on the civilian side so I have a fairly good idea. Even so, regardless of its complexity, it will have a maintenance schedule as per manufacturers recommendations to keep it in optimum condition. Even my wheel barrow gets it's axle greased when needed, just to keep the wheel running smoothly. And for sure when the military decide on some new equipment they want, all of these requirement's will have been factored in to the equation. The 4 x 4 5 tonners I mentioned were Mercedes Benz, and compared to the cost of a single tank, were bought for buttons, and of course easily replaceable from the production lines ( could be bought off the shelf, literally) but a multi million tank, now that's something else,,,keeping that in first class working order would ( or should ) have been on a first priority basis, even if it never fired a shot in anger. So I'm a little skeptical about major repairs needed before transfer to Ukraine. Hypothetical case,,,,Putins 3 day war had worked, and shortly after, he is on the border of East Germany...... and Scholz calls the military and tells them I want those Leopard's on the border, and I want then now!!! Only to be told, Herr Scholz, sorry to report, but ze Leopards are all in ze Workshops...maybe next month?

Sure they are carrying a certain amount of baggage from ww2, and Germanys part in it. I've worked with quite a few of them too, and some of them from a military background. But personally, the ones I worked with never gave any indication that I saw that WW2 affected their outlook on life in any way. According to them, yes, it happened, and for that and Germany's part in it, we are sorry, but that was a generation ago, something we did not have any control over.

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The Irish farmers have shown a precedent here. If Irish people are not actually going out to fight the Russian scumbags and governments are being kowtowed by Putin (whatever dirt he has on politicians) then it's up to ordinary people to do the justice.

Items asked for and delivered by farmers who happen to be residing in an acquiesce high politic country to the Ukrainian military.

Irish farmers can be rightly proud of this gesture. And similar can also be done by other professions in Ireland. But the farmers will own this small gesture and rightly so. It's theirs to own. This from land workers in one of the richest countries on the planet.

An aside. A man by the name of William Albrecht noted that a large majority of volunteers for the United States military in WW1 came from the mid west fertile deep soil. He put this down to the balance of minerals of the soil and how the people grew and how it formed them.

His pioneering looking at soil (and people) contributed to a new soil testing system that is still being understood today.

Go farmers. Shaming the rest of us.

Yeah, but this Rheinmetall inventory stock is a lot older than 15 years - 88 Leopard 1's and 22 Leopard 2's (which I assume are older A4's). It's the same problem with Spanish A4's, they were mothballed and are pretty much just scrap metal at the moment.

I think the question to ask is why Germany is planning to send reserve tanks instead of something that can be operational a lot faster.

It's not like they were not told in advance. Ukr. has been asking for them for months. Hint for the political elite: When you are involved in a war, THINK AHEAD.

Large scale production of Napalm should be a walk in the park for Ireland.

Reserve tanks can't be sent til 2024, operational stock from the army could be sent immediately or Ukrainians trained up in them.

We all know why Germany is not sending them, it's the same reason that they have prevented others sending them, prevented others sending other equipment at various stages.

There will be great ingenuity in finding ways to avoid sending them for as long as possible.

Lost her son in Dnipro