Sir, – On the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine, it is time for a change in Irish policy so that we become advocates for peace.
The war has already cost thousands of lives of civilians and both young Ukrainian and Russian soldiers. Homes have been destroyed and a major humanitarian and refugee crisis created. The war has had a serious impact on global food prices.
We condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as illegal.
We reject the brutal tactics that have seen many civilian areas bombed.
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At this point we face the choice of ever more escalation or moves to open peace negotiations.
The only winners of more escalation are arms manufacturers and militarists in both Russia and Nato who are pressing for increased spending on armaments.
We know from our own experience that violent conflicts must be ended by ceasefires and negotiations.
In our opinion, peace offers the best opportunity for the people of Ukraine to promote their right to self-determination and national sovereignty by political means, reflecting the principles of the UN charter.
We reject those who are using this war to undermine Irish neutrality and move us towards Nato membership.
We think that the positive element of Irish neutrality needs to be exercised. Namely, that Ireland uses its position as a neutral country to call for a ceasefire and peace negotiations. – Yours, etc,
Senator FRANCES BLACK,
RICHARD BOYD BARRETT TD,
Senator TOM CLONAN,
JOAN COLLINS TD,
CATHERINE CONNOLLY TD,
Senator EILEEN NÍ FHLOINN,
Senator ALICE-MARY HIGGINS,
GINO KENNY TD,
THOMAS PRINGLE TD,
PAUL MURPHY TD,
Senator LYNN RUANE,
BRÍD SMITH TD,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2.
Sir, – On February 25th, 2022, President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a short video on the street in front of the presidential building in Kyiv, saying: “We are all here protecting our independence, our country, and we are going to continue to do so.”
In a world in which political promises are seldom made under the threat of invasion and death, or kept with such accuracy, President Zelensky is to be greatly admired for courageously sticking to his guns, and for his towering leadership. We need to continue to support him both in the demands he has made to fight the war against Russia and in the demands he has made on Russia to end the war, for the sake of Ukraine and for the rest of Europe. – Yours, etc,
CHRIS FITZPATRICK,
Dublin 6.