Neutral, Neutered or Pacifist? Can Ireland’s Model of Neutrality Remain Aligned With its Foreign Policy Ambitions Amidst the Re-Emergence of Conflict in Europe.
Journal: Journal of Military History and Defence Studies
Year: 2024

The subject of neutrality has seen a resurgence, both in Ireland and in a wider European context owing to Russia’s 24th of February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, its second violation of Ukrainian sovereignty after its 2014 annexation of Crimea. With the Taoiseach having stated that “neutrality is a policy issue that can change at any time” (Leahy &amp; Gallagher, 2022) and stating in Washington that “we are not politically neutral, we’re not morally neutral and as the world changes, our position has