The Irish government intends to find out among the population the attitude to military neutrality, the principle of which the country adheres to. In June, a four-day forum dedicated to defense and security will be held in several Irish cities, Irish media write . The Agency drew attention to this.
During the forum, there will be debates with the participation in the field of international politics and defense, scientists and representatives of civil society. As a result, the independent chairman will draw up a report that can form the basis of recommendations to the government.
Irish Foreign Minister Michel Martin said the country needed to respond to a new reality, and the traditional policy of military neutrality does not exempt it from this need. Later, he also stated that the government is not considering the possibility of abandoning neutrality right now. At the same time, the Deputy Prime Minister spoke about such plans back in March 2022.
Earlier, due to the invasion of Russian troops in Ukraine, Sweden and Finland refused neutrality, both countries applied for membership in NATO, on April 4, Finland officially became the 31st member of the alliance.
The possibility of refusal is being discussed by Switzerland and Japan. Under its current legal framework, Switzerland cannot directly supply weapons to warring countries, nor is it entitled to re-export. Bern blocked the supply of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine from several European countries, which led to serious problems. The authorities are now trying to change the law to allow re-export five years after the weapons have been delivered to allied countries.