Sir, – The Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin has stated that: “Ireland has been supporting the International Criminal Court (ICC) as it prepares to open a case against Russians involved in the war in Ukraine”.
Of course, Ireland should be supporting the ICC and the rule of international law in all cases. There is evidence that war crimes have been committed by Russia and by Ukraine. Virtually all modern wars involve war crimes due to the indiscriminate use of powerful weapons. The Ukraine war brings the added risks of nuclear war and catastrophic damage to nuclear power stations.
Successive Irish governments remained silent when the US and its Nato allies invaded and overthrew the Afghan and Iraqi governments and committed serious war crimes. A genuinely neutral Ireland should condemn all those who commit war crimes and should make every effort to promote peace in all violent conflicts.
Mr Martin was quoted as saying: “China should use its influence to get Russia to stop this war”, and “I’d be careful of language around mediation at this stage”. Being “careful of language around mediation” combined with sending Irish soldiers to train Ukrainian soldiers is likely to perpetuate this war until either Ukraine, supported by Nato, defeats Russia or Ukraine is defeated and destroyed by Russia. Yes, China should use its influence to get Russia to stop this war, but Ireland should also get all sides in this war to stop this war.
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Ireland’s proud history of promoting international peace and justice has now been abandoned. The fatalities in the Ukraine conflict have likely exceeded 200,000 so far. How many more must die in Ukraine before the Irish Government, and others, including the UN, will do their humanitarian duty to promote peace? – Yours, etc,
EDWARD HORGAN,
Castletroy,
Limerick.