Sir, – Last week, with fellow Senators and TDs, I co-signed a letter to The Irish Times on the anniversary of Putin’s brutal and criminal invasion of Ukraine (February 24th). Since then, I have received a great deal of correspondence on this call for peace.
The queries focus on two areas. The first relates to what is absent in the letter – or what is unsaid. To that end, I wish to reconfirm that I unreservedly call for Putin’s immediate and complete withdrawal from Ukraine’s territory.
In relation to what is actually contained in the letter, the call for peace and an end to the killing is not a call for appeasement. At present, in Putin’s renewed offensives on Kremmina, Bakhmut and Vuhledar, up to 1,000 Ukrainian and Russian soldiers are dying on a daily basis. As a retired Army officer with direct experience of conflict and as a parent to young adults of military age, I believe such slaughter is obscene and unsustainable and must be brought to an end by all means possible.
My greatest fear is that Putin may escalate this war and deploy a so-called “mini-nuke” or tactical nuclear weapon, locally in eastern Ukraine. This would be a catastrophe for Ukraine and would constitute an escalation of global proportions.
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I wish to reiterate that Putin and his forces are guilty of war crimes in their war on Ukraine. I also believe in the inalienable right of Ukraine to defend itself – with western support. It is in this context that I call for renewed efforts by Ireland at the UN Security Council to end this conflict and avoid the clear and present danger of a catastrophic escalation. – Yours, etc,
Senator TOM CLONAN,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2.
Sir, – If the members of the Oireachtas who penned the letter on the war in Ukraine truly believe that there is reasonable compromise available which will bring that war to an end, why don’t they tell us what it is!
Or is it the case that they know that there is not a reasonable compromise available, but they like to pretend that there is so that they can sound more virtuous than the rest of us. – Yours, etc,
JOHN McGRATH,
Ashford,
Co Wicklow.
Sir, – On the first anniversary of Russia’s brutal, unjustified invasion of Ukraine which has seen millions of innocent civilians displaced, injured or killed, I read with interest the clarion call from a selection of our TDs and Senators for a ceasefire and peace negotiations. Of course, as a neutral State we all want to see a peaceful resolution to Russia’s horrific campaign of violence. The implication of the letter by our esteemed Oireachtas members is that the people of Ukraine should sue for peace, accept the continued occupation of their country by an authoritarian neighbour, which they are also expected to believe could be trusted as honest actors in any peace negotiations.
I would be interested in hearing in the event of an invasion against Ireland, which appears unlikely, but so did the invasion of Ukraine not so long ago, what parts of Killybegs, Tallaght, Clondalkin, Connemara, etc, these lawmakers would be willing to sacrifice to an occupying power? – Yours, etc,
ADAM HURLEY,
Stoneybatter,
Dublin 7.
Sir, – Senator Frances Black and her fellow members of the Oireachtas urge a ceasefire and peace talks to bring the Ukraine war to an end.
While they ask the Government to call for this, they must know that only one man is in a position to act on their appeal. They rightly describe Putin’s war as illegal and brutal. Unfortunately, his recent speech does not offer even a glimmer of hope that he envisages any outcome short of victory. His quest to dismember Ukraine and deny it the right to choose its own course runs exactly contrary to the principles of self-determination and national sovereignty which they think Ukraine should “promote . . . by political means”.
They say that we know from our own experience that “violent conflict must be ended by ceasefires and negotiations”. This is not always true, as the Russians and their allies well remember from 1945. But even when it is, as in Ireland, the circumstances must be right and the parties to the conflict must each realise that the diplomatic route is to their mutual advantage. There is no sign of this in the case of Russia. Until there is, the western democracies, including Ireland, must unequivocally continue to support Ukraine. – Yours, etc,
RORY MONTGOMERY,
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – I would like to highly commend those members of our Oireachtas for recommending peace rather than war in Ukraine. It’s very easy for those of us in the West to recommend the Ukrainians to continue a losing battle. Their youth is being slaughtered, and their economy and infrastructure are being slowly dismantled. To serve what purpose? If western powers kept out of matters which doesn’t concern them both Russia and Ukraine could have settled their differences years ago and lived in relative harmony. However, that could not be allowed to happen and now Ukraine and the ordinary citizens of western Europe will continue to pay a heavy human and economic price for decades to come. I’m glad to see the Ukrainian president appears willing to at least discuss the peace proposals recently being put forward by the Chinese government. It’s a step in the right direction.
Perhaps our Government could also offer its services as a neutral party in any future peace talks.
If the leaders of the Easter 1916 Rising had not decided to surrender in order to prevent further needless, futile bloodshed, where would our nation be today? – Yours, etc,
JOHN DEEGAN,
Kilbeggan,
Co Westmeath.