We are preparing to take up to 200k Ukrainians and are sending convoys of aid and transport. 200k is almost 4% of our population.
Meanwhile we do next to nothing but offer symbolic solidarity for Palestine, while Israel do shit like [terrorism through denying babies access to treatment.](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/01/palestinian-baby-dies-after-treatment-delayed-by-israeli-blockade-of-gaza).
I get the Ukraine invasion is new and Zelensky is saying what he is seeing, and doing everything in his power to help his people.. I have no issue with him whatsoever. I just think both views on our country are worth contemplating, and along with the neutrality conversation our national response to such issues are worth reproach from now on. Not entirely sure what my point is beyond that… but I find it frustrating.
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We’ll see if he maintains the line from last week when he addresses a joint session of the Oireachtas next week
His comments last week were a mistranslation. It’s been clarified since. I think the correct translation was more like, ireland are doing almost as much as other EU countries that have given both humanitarian and military support. Ireland obviously only giving humanitarian assistance He criticised Hungary directly in the same speech. If he wanted to have a go at us, he would have done so directly IMO.
But saying “we will take 200k Ukrainians” is the illusion of doing something, but not until these people actually arrive. Its Orwellian doublespeak, it implies that something is being done when in fact nothing has been done, and it achieves its goal of winning hearts and minds at home in Ireland. But to a person in Ukraine its meaningless, its not help.
Secondly, the Palestine thing is way overstated. Ireland is not praised any more than any other place and ‘Ireland’ actually relys on a lot of ‘praise by association’, republicans support in Northern Ireland is known to Palestinians, this often get misconstrued as being from ‘Ireland’ the state..its not.
Zelenskiy is backed by the USA, the Palestinians are not and that is the reason.
Why are you linking Zelensky to Palestine 🧐
Corrupt politician whinging about not getting support from ireland because we didn’t support ukraine getting expedited accession talks.
As a starter there’s no point trying to box both situations are one of the same to make a like for like comparison.
He’s a fucking actor , who gives a fuck what he thinks? Just cause he got voted as a president of a far away country? So did Trump, you care what he thinks?
EU countries are taking in refugees on a per capita basis. By taking our quota we’re not doing anything above and beyond and don’t need a pat on the head for doing just what’s expected.
Likewise for our aid contribution. We’re helping but compared to other countries, we’re not doing anything beyond what’s the norm for a country of our population and means.
You have to be pretty thin skinned to be upset about what he said. If your country was getting the fuck shelled out of it I’d forgive you for not giving another country enough props for helping out
>Not entirely sure what my point is
Nor am I.
How does he think we’re doing virtually nothing? I think you’ve misconstrued what his comments were actually in relation to, he was speaking about EU membership, not what countries are contributing towards helping them with the war
He needs ammunition …
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/irish-soldiers-idle-anti-tank-missiles-should-be-sent-to-ukraine-1.4815649
Zelensky is leading a war against a brutal opponent. We can’t expect him to be overly diplomatic or polite in his language at the moment. And he didn’t actively criticize Ireland or anything. That’s a gross exaggeration of what he said. Hungary was the country he took genuine aim at – and for good reasons.
As for the cause of the less-than-exultant praise of Ireland? Possibly our whole military neutrality spiel and decision not to send him weapons. He REALLY wants as many weapons as he can get his hand on and I think criticizing us on that ground is – from his perspective at least – fair.
Alternatively, it may have something to do with Mick Wallace and Clare Daly. Their appeasement mentality towards the Russians and vociferous criticism of NATO won’t have won them many friends among the Eastern European leaders generally. And they’ve been pretty outspoken. Wallace in particular would be hard to miss given his “unique” fashion sense. They’re basically acting as useful idiots for the Russian cause. I doubt that’s their intention but that’s the end result regardless.
As for why we’re doing so much to help Ukraine – we’re acting in concert with the rest of the EU on that front, taking in our share of refugees, imposing sanctions and providing aid. It’s a collective effort by the political bloc to which we’re allied. We’re doing our bit, no more and no less.
The Palestinian situation is profoundly different from a geopolitical standpoint (both being humanitarian tragedies obviously).
Relax, no need to be frustrated like, we are helping. The man’s under insane pressure, leave off.