Ireland, which is a member of the European Union but not a member of NATO, is launching a public debate on its security policy on Thursday, raising the thorny question of its neutrality in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, AFP and Agerpres reported.

Those consultations, announced in April, begin on Thursday and run until Tuesday in a context in which the Russian incursion has already led Finland and Sweden to question decades of military non-alignment.

In Ireland, the discussion about possible accession to NATO, contrary to the policy pursued after the Second World War, causes a violent reaction.

President Michael Higgins, in a more protocol role, accused the government of “playing with fire” by opening the file. On the pages of the Business Post, he assessed that Ireland is in a “very dangerous moment” in terms of foreign policy, expressing fears about “drift”.

Prime Minister Leo Varadkar played down the implications of the neutrality debate, telling parliament on Tuesday that the consultation had “no ulterior motive” and covered a range of military topics.

“We define our policy very clearly: we do not expect to join NATO or any other military alliance. We will invest in our armed forces,” Varadkar said.

About 1,200 people have registered to take part in the debate, which will begin in Cork in the south of the country, then travel across the country of 5 million and conclude in Dublin on Monday and Tuesday.

What armed forces does Ireland have

With a defense budget of €1.1 billion, critics say Ireland lags behind other EU member states in military spending, making its security dependent on its neighbours.

Its armed forces number 8,500 soldiers participating in peacekeeping operations, of which 500 soldiers are currently stationed abroad, mainly in Lebanon. Following the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the passage of Russian ships off the coast of Ireland is raising concerns for the government in Dublin about sabotage, which in particular could affect transatlantic cables.

According to the Royal Joint Services Institute, Ireland has just six patrol ships, supported by two maritime patrol aircraft, to oversee its exclusive economic zone, which makes up 16% of EU territorial waters.

The Irish government has already stressed the need to prepare for cyber attacks such as one attributed to a Russian hacking group that damaged its health services in 2021.

Most Irish are in favor of neutrality

According to an Ipsos poll for the Irish Times published in June, 61% of Irish people favor their country’s current neutrality, but 55% of them support a “significant increase” in Ireland’s military capabilities.

Last year, the government announced it wanted to increase military spending by €1.5 billion a year until 2028, an unprecedented increase.

In February, Dublin agreed to participate in the EU’s military aid to Ukraine, bringing 30 Irish soldiers to train the Ukrainian military.

Ireland’s policy of neutrality stems from its struggle for independence and salvation from British rule, going through a bloody civil war that led to the establishment of the Republic of Ireland in 1937.

Even if this non-alignment was not firmly enshrined in the Constitution, successive governments have followed the decision made by former Prime Minister Eamonn de Valera after the Second World War, a decision criticized by London and Washington.

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