Neutrality: a Finnish point of view

Sir, – As a half-Finnish, half-Irish student of international politics, who has recently completed their mandatory military service in the Finnish army, I feel uniquely placed to participate in the ongoing debate over Irish military neutrality.

We in Finland recently made the near-unanimous decision to abandon our almost 80-year tradition of military neutrality and joined Nato.

The Finns realised correctly that it is not the mere will to remain neutral that protects a small nation when the tide of geopolitics turns. To truly guarantee its territorial sovereignty, a small nation must either arm itself or ally itself. Preferably both.

Neutral or not, certain factors may make Ireland interesting in the eyes of foreign powers. Ireland’s geographical position on the edge of crucial North Atlantic maritime passages, undersea internet cables and as a hub for major US tech companies make the island geopolitically relevant to major powers and potentially of interest to an actor seeking to destabilise the West.

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And though militarily neutral, Ireland is not non-aligned. Just like Finland, Ireland as an EU member has been firmly in the club of western liberal democracies with strong partnerships across Europe and the Atlantic Ocean. Though Ireland’s geography is nowhere near as precarious as Finland’s, these are all factors to consider.

I urge the people of Ireland to keep an open mind and truly consider the geopolitical position the country is in and the current reality in Europe.

Ireland has a proud tradition of not only carrying its weight, but also punching above it – internationally through participation in UN peacekeeping, global humanitarian initiatives and peace brokering.

Perhaps it is also time to re-evaluate the restraints placed on Irish action for global peace and in support of its partners by the policy of military neutrality, for example, in the form of the so-called triple lock.

Even if relaxing Ireland’s military neutrality is not considered necessary, perhaps it is at least time to seriously consider the merits of maintaining a strong and truly capable defence force.

Nothing less than the freedom and security of the Irish people is at stake. – Yours, etc,

SEÁN ILMARI McLOUGHLIN,

Järvenpää,

Finland.