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LAST UPDATE | 20 Mar
TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has quashed claims that Ireland may soon send up to €1bn in non-lethal military aid to Ukraine, under new EU proposals, and said the plan would be agreed if the figure is “much lower”.
Martin is among the 27 EU leaders in Brussels today to discuss the major issues facing the bloc, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, defence spending and economic competitiveness.
Today’s top priority is the EU’s continued support for Ukraine, with the bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas telling reporters this morning that some member states need to start putting their money where their mouth is.
Kallas this week proposed increasing the EU’s military aid spending for Ukraine to up to €40bn, with member states contributing amounts relative to their economies so donation amounts are equal.
If accepted, it could mean that Ireland commits to spending up to reportedly €1bn in non-lethal military aid for Ukraine. Kallas’ proposal has been privately criticised in European circles.
Today, she said that though EU leaders agree to support Ukraine, that commonality is not currently reflected in the level of funding provided by each state.
“If you listen to the statements of the leaders, the support [for Ukraine] is very much there,” she said. “That’s why it should be seen in deeds, in numbers, in the actual ammunition that Ukraine needs. I’m hopeful that we will push this forward.”
Asked about this today, the Taoiseach said that he does not believe that the proposal will be agreed upon by EU leaders today.
He was cautious not to voice whether Ireland was in favour of the plan, highlighted that the government has already arranged to bilateral aid commitments to Ukraine, outside of the European framework.
“I don’t really want to speculate on something that’s not firm,” Martin said. “Clearly, I don’t see agreement on it today, unless it’s a much lower figure. Other member states have a particular issue with it.”
The leaders are also meeting amid US-Russian negotiations over a possible end to the war in Ukraine, the Israeli violation of its ceasefire with Hamas in Palestine and a struggling European economy facing threatened US tariffs.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres will also be joining the EU leaders to exchange views on multilateralism and oceans during a working lunch. The continued support of Ukraine will be discussed, and how best to approach peace talks as a cohesive bloc.
Martin said that the discussions will also be largely based on the update that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due to give EU leaders, virtually, this morning and how to progress discussions towards a secure, lasting peace in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, a white paper proposing how the EU will follow through on a massive increase in defence spending, outlined by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last week, was published yesterday and will likely be debated informally today.
Almost €800 billion, through loans and the loosening of fiscal rules, is proposed as spending for the plan. It is currently unknown if Ireland would benefit from the new measures, however.
Von der Leyen has defended the enormous spending increase and changes to fiscal rules through pointing towards the weakening reliance on the US as a defensive backstop and the highetend tensions, particularly in eastern Europe, over Russian aggression.
Speaking on the White Paper today, the Taoiseach said member states need more time to reflect on what is included in the policy plan but stated that the Irish government has already voiced support for von der Leyen’s renewed focus on defence in Europe.
“There are a lot of issues around [defence] procurement capacities within Europe and the capacity of the European defense industry to respond to this increased expenditure,” he claimed, while reiterating Ireland’s support for von der Leyen’s plan to address that.
A renewed focus has also been placed on Europe’s internal competitiveness, as the US economy continues to outpace the EU’s following the financial shocks brought on by the covid-19 pandemic.
A report published in September last year, which is now being used as the Commission’s economic framework for the EU’s single market, called on Ireland and other EU member states to share debt in order to boost competitiveness.
It also sought to cut red tape for tech and other industries which have come under tough economic regulations by the EU in recent years, in hopes that indigenous start-ups can grow and keep up with the increasing number of multinationals set up in member states.
Threats of tariffs on European goods from the US have also rattled European leaders, which is something that will certainly come up in Brussels today. Leaders are discussing competitiveness today in the hopes that it assists in existing rearmament plans.
Includes reporting by David MacRedmond
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They don’t really need to support themselves through working, as they have upper class parents who will get them whatever they need. They have no incentive to set up their future lives through work, hence the arts.
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