Neutrality a 'thing of the past' given threat from Russia, says Ukrainian minister

Ukraine's first deputy minister for foreign affairs Sergiy Kyslytsya was speaking at the European Commission’s offices in Dublin on Wednesday. File picture: Seth Wenig/AP

Russia doesn’t need to put boots on the ground to invade a country and can “paralyse” it by a cyber or drone attack, a senior Ukrainian minister has told policy experts and foreign dignitaries in Ireland.

Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine's first deputy minister for foreign affairs, also said while he would not tell Ireland what security policy to have that, in his view, neutrality was “a thing of the past”.

Speaking at the European Commission’s offices in Dublin, Mr Kyslytsya said “look at what happened to Finland” where its attitude to neutrality “changed dramatically” after Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine.

He said there was a similar conversion in Sweden, with discussions now taking place in neutral Austria.

Mr Kyslytsya said Ukraine was very grateful for the help Ireland has given, in particular in taking in some 120,000 of its citizens, with some 83,000 people still here.

He said Russia can bring a far-away country “to its knees” by launching a cyber attack or flooding their airspace with drones.

The deputy foreign minister was addressing a conference organised by the Embassy of Ukraine to Ireland and the European Commission and European Parliament in Dublin.

Finland's view on neutrality 'changed very quickly'

Responding, the Finnish ambassador to Ireland Leena Gardemeister said Finland had been neutral for decades, a policy that was “loved and dear to our hearts”. 

She said the policy “worked for us until it didn’t” and that after the invasion the people’s view “changed very quickly”.

Vivian Loonela, Head of Cabinet for EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, told attendees: “Europe is not at war, the war is in Ukraine, but Europe is not at peace either”.

Speaking online from Brussels she said major airports in Belgium were hit by drones on Tuesday. 

She said the EU’s biggest strength was its unity against Russia’s aggresion and that significant efforts were underway to boost the union’s defence capabilities.

Ms Loonela said Russia’s war posed an “existential threat” to Europe as well as Ukraine and that the EU needed to ensure Ukraine had a “strong army”.

Ben Tonra, Professor of Politics and International Relations at UCD, said that if there was an Olympics for “smug self-satisfaction” Ireland would be a medal holder, but asked what would Ireland do if any of the Baltic states were attacked?

“Blankets and prayers is insufficient,” he said.

He said Ireland should remove the exclusion on lethal military aid in its funding towards the European Peace Fund for Ukraine, adding there was “nothing in our legislation” to stop that.

Former Army officer and ex-TD, Cathal Berry agreed and said Ireland could also provide its surface-to-air missiles to shoot down Russian missiles targeting cities and civilians, saying it would be “non lethal”.

He said neutrality was a “perfectly legitimate” policy if it was appropriately resourced, but said Ireland was “defenceless” and dependent on Nato countries for air and maritime support.

Mr Berry said he expected drone incursions during Ireland’s presidency of the EU in the second half of next year, saying that could be a “day of reckoning”.

UCD Assisant Professor of War Studies, Edward Burke, said people take the existence of the EU “for granted”, adding: “We need to fight for it, and democracy”.