Major-General Julian Thompson wrote in an article for the "Daily Telegraph" that the EU should have nothing to do with the UK's national security, which Boris Johnson echoed. He claimed that during the Cold War, it was NATO which prevented the Soviet Union's attack. Thompson claims that the EU played no role in reaching peace in the Troubles in Northern Ireland during 1968–1998. By contrast, Enda Kenny, Taoiseach of Ireland, claimed that EU membership played a significant role in ending the Troubles and achieving peace in Northern Ireland, and that a withdrawal from the European Union would put the Northern Ireland peace process at risk.