Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

-----but there is no excuse for the behaviour of NATO either. It has been pushing and pushing and using Ukraine as a proxy in its own conflict with Russia. That is what has been happening across the board.

We have to be very careful and maintain our neutrality. Our neutrality gives us a unique and much-needed voice for peace in Europe and throughout the rest of the world. We should be using that and be proud to do so.

I note that the Council mentioned the EU military assistance mission, the first common security and defence policy mission to be conducted on EU soil. It noted that the cost of the EU military assistance programme for Ukraine since the start of the war was €3.1 million. Ireland's membership of any military alliance and contribution to any type of military mission would undermine its reputation as a neutral State, and we must remember this.

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