Ireland considering closer NATO co-operation in hybrid and cyber spheres. ‘We can’t rely purely on our geographic location in terms of our security,’ says Department of Foreign Affairs official
Ireland considering closer NATO co-operation in hybrid and cyber spheres. ‘We can’t rely purely on our geographic location in terms of our security,’ says Department of Foreign Affairs official
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As an Irish person I am dismayed by the approach my government takes. Our long tradition of being neutral has largely relied on having friends with big sticks (USA, Europe) and had very little to do with self-determination.
We should take active roles in organisations our values tie up with. NATO is such an organisation and we should join.
I have often though that this hesitance is entirely due to not wanting to spend money on defence. With one of the smallest spending in Europe (just 0.3%) it would be a big target to get to 2%. One that could be easily reached by tightening of the taxation of corporations
/r/europe is big into the idea of Ireland joining NATO, but there really isn’t any support for it on the ground. Doubt I see it happen my lifetime and that doesn’t upset me at all. I’d be absolutely okay with closer EU defensive ties, but there are a lot of NATO countries with very questionable foreign policies and histories of militant colonialism that I don’t particularly want Ireland associated with.