Ireland ‘willing to help’ on Ukraine peacekeeping plan, Martin says

By Cillian Sherlock, PA

Ireland will participate in a peacekeeping operation in Ukraine if there is a deal to end the war, the Taoiseach said, but the country will not form part of a “deterrent force”.

Micheál Martin said he told UK Prime Minister that Ireland is willing to “do whatever we possibly can to help”, after Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron set an ambition to build a “coalition of the willing” to defend a peace deal.

Mr Martin’s supportive comments came as EU leaders held an emergency summit in Brussels on Thursday, aimed at bolstering military defences and protection for Ukraine.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed an €800 billion “ReArm Europe” plan that would allow EU member states to spend much more on defence and avail of new loans.

The summit was called after President Donald Trump’s administration paused supplies of US military aid to Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended the talks and thanked EU leaders for their support.

The Taoiseach discussed the latest developments on the Ukraine war with Sir Keir during their UK-Ireland summit in Liverpool on Wednesday and Thursday.

Speaking in Brussels on Thursday, Mr Martin said: “I think what is very clear from talking to European leaders is the need to be more self-reliant within Europe itself, to increase Europe’s own capabilities.”

“I did speak to the British Prime Minister last evening, and I think we have said on the record publicly already, that we’re willing to do whatever we possibly can to help. ”

On the possibility of peacekeeping being required following a cessation of hostilities, Mr Martin told reporters that Ireland “would see what we could do to help in that situation” but added: “We would not be part of a deterrent force, however, which is a more longer term.

“We don’t have that military capability. It would be a different order.”

Meanwhile, Mr Martin welcomed the ReArm fund but said that Ireland already has space within its existing “fiscal framework” to ramp up to the next stage of its ambitions on defence spending.

He said the fund would primarily help other member states.

“This is very indispensable spending in terms of the quality of lives of (EU) citizens to ensure that we can continue to have peace and prosperity into the future and also signals a growing direction in respect of self-reliance within Europe itself, in terms of its own defence and security, given the geopolitical situation as it’s emerging.”

He added: “What’s happening here does give additional mechanisms that we in other states could use.

“At the moment, we’re not borrowing because we have a surplus in our Exchequer financing. We have the largest capital programme (for defence) at the moment under way.

“And also, of course, we’re particularly focusing on cyber security threats, maritime security threats, working with other member states, we’re procuring primary radar system, and we’re likely to be doing that via the joint procurement model.”