Role for Irish Defence Forces in Ukraine?

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??

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

I'm reading the book by Karina Molloy about her experiences serving with the Irish DF. On one of her trips overseas serving with multinational forces, the engineer unit deployed for road, IED and mine-clearance was Ukrainian so it seems they do have experience enough in the art of safely disposing of Ordnance.

I'll go back to the paragraph in Karina's book again to get you an answer but I understood it to include road checking for IED's so the overseas convoys and troops could travel over regular used routes AND also mine clearance as part of the Ukraine Engineers duties. There might have been a difference between discovery of devices and disposal of same by the Ukraine contingent in the one of four of her trips but I don't think it was defined in Karina's book.

Ah sure why not - that's all the 'Southern Ireland' Vichy State army are good for.

Any countries battle but our own.

Why am I banned? Warned about what exactly? Did I write something that is not true?

Not having a go at you personally, just stating that Ireland was already invaded and occupied by England and still is occupied by England to this day.

England still obviously occupies the 6 counties and still claims sovereignty over Ireland as a whole, against the will of the vast majority of the Irish people of Ireland as a whole. England still treats Ireland as being part of the UK and Irish people as being British. Just look at some of its laws on its statute books .

Take a look at the foreign British flag and the foreign British Monarchs Coat of Arms. Ireland's Sovereign Seal, the Harp, the ancient symbol of Ireland, which is why England uses it (foreign crown over Ireland) is plastered all over their regalia.

England has no respect for Ireland and the Irish people - it never did. It continues to ignore the fundamental fact that we do not want England interfering in the affairs of our native country Ireland. We want rid of the parasite that is England.