Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)

I wish to speak to the gravity of what is happening on our Continent with the war in Ukraine. It continues to inflict devastating human and societal geopolitical damage and change. According to one of the latest briefings, the scale of the suffering is humongous. The bombardment of cities, with its civilian casualties and with its infrastructure under relentless attack, is severe and it must not be ignored. It is not at the top of the headlines in the news anymore but the war is happening still for those citizens of Ukraine. It is over three years since the full-scale and unprovoked invasion by Russia of Ukraine. The conflict stretches back years to the illegal annexation of Crimea. Let us make no mistake: this is not a war of defence by Russia, it is aggression. The enemy of peace is taking aim at civilians and the civilian infrastructure on which all modern life depends, including educational and health institutions. This is what we are witnessing in Ukraine. It is done unto them by Russia.

When international borders can be changed by force and when international law becomes optional, the very underpinnings of our global orders are at risk. At the recent fifth Summit of the International Crimea Platform, the Taoiseach stated: "We cannot allow force to be the means by which international borders are defined." As Europeans, we must continue to stand with Ukraine, not just with words but also with deeds. The people of Ukraine deserve the full support of the international community. Their struggle is our struggle. It is a struggle for respect, for sovereignty and for the rule of law. Ukraine is a sovereign and independent nation and it has to be afforded the fundamental right to peace, security and full respect for its internationally recognised borders. Justice is not just a luxury: it is a foundation of any lasting peace. We have to remember that. It is a matter of principle that we build a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine. We have to sustain our humanitarian, financial and diplomatic support. There is no backing away from that. We have to push our EU and global partners for more sanctions and for more mechanisms to hold Russia to account. We have to insist that peace negotiations must respect Ukraine sovereignty and its territorial integrity. A ceasefire based on occupation, fear or forced surrender is not peace at all.

As previous colleagues said, this is more than just a war on Ukraine, or Ukraine versus Russia: this is a war on Europe. It is a war on our moral compass and what we are used to on this Continent. We have to stand tall against it. Some might argue that as a neutral state, Ireland is compromised by taking such a firm stance on Ukraine but we absolutely are not, in the same way we are not compromised by taking a strong stance on Gaza and the horrific genocide being visited on the people of Gaza. Neutrality is not meant for moral indifference. It is not about standing silent when our larger neighbour tries to erase the smaller one. Our neutrality is a military neutrality, not an ethical or political neutrality, and certainly not a licence for inaction. If anything, I believe that our neutral status places a heavier responsibility upon us. We have to rely on international law, our sovereignty and our multilateral institutions to guarantee our own security and the security of Europe. When those very principles are being shredded by Russia's aggression, Ireland cannot simply watch from the sidelines. We have to make sure that we are not compromised and that we are compelled to act . If we allow a world where borders can be redrawn by force and where the UN Charter is treated as a footnote, small countries like us will be the first to lose. Supporting Ukraine is not a departure from neutrality; it is a defence of the international order that protects our neutral states in the first place. We must protect ourselves, as Deputy Moynihan said, in protecting our neutrality and in protecting our nation. We are under threat by being a very strong economic hub in Europe. We have to wake up to the reality that we have to make sure we can defend ourselves as a neutral state. I will support the new Minister for Defence when she is investing in our Defence Forces and investing in our radar and our capabilities because we must ensure that we protect ourselves.

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