The Taoiseach of Ireland, Micheál Martin, has spoken out in defense of the European Union’s decision to significantly increase its supply of ammunition to Ukraine. The move comes after Russian forces amassed near the Ukrainian border, raising fears of a potential invasion. Martin has argued that the EU must stand firm against Russian aggression and take steps to prevent further destabilization in the region. In this article, we will delve into the Taoiseach’s stance and its impact on the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
The European Union (EU) has committed to providing one million artillery shells to Ukraine over the next year in a bid to support the country’s fight against Russian aggression. EU foreign and defence ministers had previously agreed to expedite purchasing procedures to speed up the provision of the munitions, and the recent leaders’ summit endorsed this decision. Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has argued that the EU had little choice but to help arm Ukraine and that member states needed to replenish their own arm stocks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has welcomed the initiative.
Despite stressing Ireland’s neutrality, Varadkar rejected questions relating to the EU potentially going against its founding principle of promoting peace. He argued that Russia had been permitted to occupy part of Georgia and was currently seizing control of Ukraine, with the failure of appeasement having been demonstrated. Appeasement, Varadkar suggested, had also been detrimental in the run-up to World War II: “people often ask: ‘Where will Putin stop?’ Putin will stop where we stop him and that’s clear.”
Varadkar asserted that the aim for everyone was peace, but he added that this was unlikely until “it’s very clear that Russia’s military objectives in Ukraine have failed”. The provision of artillery shells is viewed as a significant escalation in the EU’s material support for Ukraine. The proposed sales will have to be approved by member states on a national basis, although this is expected to be a formality.
The move comes amid escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Moscow annexed the Ukrainian province of Crimea in 2014 and backed separatists who took control of areas of eastern Ukraine, leading to an ongoing conflict that has killed more than 14,000 people. Fighting has again escalated over recent weeks, reportedly causing the deaths of several Ukrainian soldiers, while Russian troops have moved up to the Ukrainian border.
The provision of arms by Western countries and NATO allies to Ukraine has been a divisive issue. The US has supplied some military equipment to Kiev, while Canada and the UK have sent military trainers to the country. Other nations, including Germany, have resisted providing arms, arguing that this would only escalate the violence.
Russia argues that arms supplied to Ukraine violate the Minsk accords, a peace agreement signed in 2015 that calls for the sides to withdraw troops from the conflict zone and hold local elections. Although a ceasefire was established last year, it has since broken down. The conflict in eastern Ukraine remains one of the most intractable challenges facing the EU.
