Professor Andrew Cottey:

There is quite a lot there. I note the point made that Finland and Sweden are on the verge of joining NATO. My view is that they will both become NATO members. An impact of that is that it will reduce the number of non-NATO member neutral states within the European Union. There is a political shift in that regard which is worth noting.

On the points relating to the Iraq war and the global south, "absolutely" is my first comment. In its work on the UN Security Council in the past two years, Ireland very much emphasised global role partnering with the south. A substantive example in that regard is that Ireland was one of the countries that led in putting Ethiopia and the appalling conflict in that country on the agenda of the UN Security Council and keeping it there.