The disputed deaths of five Ukrainian soldiers alongside the escalation of fighting between Kiev and the breakaway republics of the Donbass heralds a new chapter in the post-Euromaidan conflict.
Allegedly part of a reconnaissance group that violated Russian territory, the finer points of the altercation have already been lost to history amid a tug of war of misinformation claims.
What is increasingly clear however is that the much goaded war with Russia may be at our doorstep and another patch of the world potentially put on the butcher’s slab for NATO military intrigue.
Conscious of the plutocratic pillaging of their Motherland in the 90s, and with the memory of what happened to anti-Western regimes in Libya, Yugoslavia and Iraq, Russia will simply not yield to allowing NATO a foot in the door to its hinterland.
As a sort of crazed last throw of the geopolitical dice an increasingly decrescent Washington is backing the Ukrainian horse in a bid to buy Liberalism some time as the global walls close in and multipolarity crystallises.
Europe in 2022, with its increasingly demographic frailty and covid mad governments, does not need nor want conflict with Russia, even some in the corridors of power who are not totally smitten with Washington realise this.
The usually sycophantic pro-Atlanticist German press has been raising the alarm on DC’s Moscow vendetta, with media outlets unearthing reneged promises made by NATO in the 90s not to advance deeper into the Russian sphere.
The botched colour revolutions in Kazakhstan and Belarus may have likely been strategic entrées for this new round of fighting, triggered by attempts to bring Kiev formally under the NATO tent.
It is not the duty of Irishmen to weigh in on the Ukrainian question, despite inherent sympathy towards underdogs, but suffice it to say our interests lie in a quick Russian steamroll over NATO with the minimum amount of collateral damage.
One can respect the Ukrainian plight for nationhood against the Russian Bear, and know that their fight will continue long after NATO has bit the dust, but the quicker America vacates the continent, the sooner Europe can even begin to think of charting its own course.
Russia’s reemergence onto the world stage in the 2010s blunted the unipolar lunacy of a Syrian invasion, and is a net geopolitical positive to us all. While imperfect, Russia is a nation state with enough bulk mass to stand up to Washington and its hegemony, with the prospect of a Eurasian power bloc one of the defining moves of the century.
One does not expect nor want Russian tanks to be rolling down Grafton Street to overthrow globalism here, but a sucker punch to NATO’s gut in the East could create the creative destruction needed to broaden the horizons on a post-liberal future here.
For Ireland’s part, we have no major military role to play bar posturing on our UN security council seat, and becoming a probable refugee depot if and when millions of Ukranians flee to the West.
The manufactured media scare earlier this month regarding Russian naval exercises can now be contextualised as a final attempt to startle the Dublin government into at least having a functioning military if and when sparks start flying.
With or without the consent of the populace, we may find ourselves on team NATO in all but name as the stance of Iveagh House attests.
The best case scenario for war would be a quickfire Russian victory followed by a nationalist seizure of the apparatus of power in the rump Ukrainian state, with America and its NATO handmaiden permanently discredited.
One of the worst scenarios to possibly play out would be a protracted Syrian style conflict, in which the energies of Europe are sucked into a aimless war with Russia further running down the demographic clock.
These events are beyond our control, but the prospect of a weakening American grip here ought to be welcome by all. We are not living in the era of Reagan when America could at least pretend to be a benevolent Christian power against a godless Soviet threat.
Yet again Europe marches to battle under a bizarre fog of war, which if miscarried could spell final doom for the continent. Yet again we hear mention of Munich, and red lines from an Anglo-American press embroiling itself in lands it barely understands.
As the twilight of the American Imperium settles in, some European leaders must be furtively imagining a post-Yankee future, less so in Ireland. No one thinks such a transition will be gentle, but it is one which Europe and Ireland must make, and the jolt preferably coming sooner rather than later.
Our interests lie in creating peace with Russia and pivoting a viable Europe away from the Anglosphere and Atlanticism. Only a self-directed Europe will be able to fortify its position and repair itself socially and demographically. For that we need an awful lot of the stars, stripes and rainbows to stop flying over European skylines.
Let’s hope America’s bloody nose comes swift and hard for their sake and ours.
I don’t understand how an Irishman like you can be so anti-American. I can assure you that 99% of Russians couldn’t care less if Putin nuked your island. On the other hand, many millions of Americans are fond of Ireland and would even fight to defend it.
Our enemy is not America or NATO, but the ideology of revolution: liberalism, Socialism, Communism, wokism. Putin and Biden are two sides of the same corrupt oligarchy. Their common enemy is Western civilization.
James this a world view that welcomes a Europe dominated by Putin. There’s no room for commmunity or humanism or the love of Jesus Christ only hurt and grievance for wrongs real imagined and borrowed. Anyway I just wanted to check in here to see how the bile is bubbling. Namaste.
I absolutely agree with everything James said beautifully. Ciaran, I normally agree with you but I can’t wrap my head around the Yankee-phobia. Possibly it is rooted in the America/Britain “special relationship” palaver we had to endure listening to as Irish-Americans during the 70’s. In any event, the battle is bigger. It’s over the freedom of the individual which is under attack on all fronts and the best of Western Civilization, which I’m quite fond of. The new Penal Laws are being rolled out.
on another note, I have been waiting for one of excellent writers on this site, including yourself, to address the fascist turn in Canada.
Neither Putin nor Biden! Just as I am not going to run from Satan to Beelzebub!
What makes you think that avoiding North America is going to gain us independence? Russia is not going to fill in that vacuum? A bit silly.
Ireland’s solution is a return to the Catholic Church. No secular fix is going to help. Public prayer is what is going to make the difference.
I would like to see a response to the three comments here.
As an Irish-American who attended a Ukrainian parochial school in rural Pennsylvania, I have deep sympathies for the Ukrainian plight as they are mauled by the conscienceless Russian Bear. If I remember correctly, the last time Russia brutalized Ukraine, they perpetrated a genocide, effectively starving the country to death, all the while exporting their stolen grain to Germany and the rest of Europe. The obvious parallel with the brutality of the English during the Irish Potato Famine cannot be ignored. It is easy to theorize, from the relative safety of an office chair, about the future of the European sphere without America or NATO in the picture, but for the poor Ukrainians, history is repeating itself once again. They don’t need to theorize what kind of enjoyable life they will have under the heal of a Russian boot. They already know…
Thank goodness for the comments above, I thought I was alone there for a minute. You are having a laugh Ciaran. I have to agree with James on this one.
Beware of propaganda, a diversion tactic after a 2 year lockdown, a so called monetary collapse maybe,a climate hoax,a food chain disruption etc etc.
The history of Ukraine,borderland interpretation, becomes recognized, or independent…well let’s see it play out…if it ever will.
NATO, US, EU and all the rest are guilty of stirring the pot for a number of years now.I am not saying Putin is an angel,but at the same time when you have the lowest confidence in Western Politics on the back of a plandemic, DO YOU STILL TRUST MSM,POLITITIONS and govt. narrative…easy pulling wool over the eyes of a terrified,fear driven public…you cannot trust the bastards ever
‘The best case scenario for war would be a quickfire Russian victory followed by a nationalist seizure of the apparatus of power in the rump Ukrainian state, with America and its NATO handmaiden permanently discredited.
One of the worst scenarios to possibly play out would be a protracted Syrian style conflict, in which the energies of Europe are sucked into a aimless war with Russia further running down the demographic clock.’
Precisely my position. None of this is an endorsement of Russia , Putin or slavic brother wars- but the realist position now that war has arrived is that it can either end with a realignment or roll on indefinitely causing misery and carnage on our doorstep.
Globalism & Globohomo are now America’s main cultural & political export, one they force on their vassal states in Europe. Any weakening of the USA will be beneficial for most of the rest of the world. It’s a pity but I have plenty of American friends who’d agree & want nothing much to do with their own government & it’s promotion of a set of Woke dogmas that is squarely aimed at attacking the majority. A Democracy is a system that’s supposed to work for the majority, not against it. The US has helped Europe in the past but the current state of the USA means it’s no good for its own citizens, never mind for us.
I was to say the least, astonished to read the first 5 comments above, culminating in the self congratulations of Josie, who went on to kindly provide one last insult for the author of the piece, Ciaran Brennan.
It all left me wondering if anything posted above (the first 6 posts) had considered even for one moment, the comments and suggestions of the author!. An author who writes from a protective view point , his desire for protection was not personal, nor did the author seek anything other than the security of his home country and her people.
Yet almost immediately , the reaction shows not concern for Ireland or Europe, nor for the Irish people.
Instead what we read, all points to the preservation of the United States above all!.
Certainly , Ireland is referenced in all the above mentioned posts, but almost as an after thought. Perhaps to discredit the author!, or might it be that a weakened and struggling nation (the US), now much like NATO is willing to sacrifice it’s smaller nation friends to ensure that the United States continues to hold top spot, for now!.
In direct reply to James :
You state (quote) “I can assure you that 99% of Russians couldn’t care less if Putin nuked your island. ” (end quote).
James, this type of Leftist Propaganda and sensationalist scare mongering, is frankly disappointing to see and read!.
Frankly Sir, you can neither assure nor assume, that your scare mongering regarding Russia and her people , has any percentage with either desire or lack of desire, with regards to any kind of attack on the island of Ireland, your comment has served to divide Russia from her neighbors in Europe since the end of WWII. It is frankly, Insulting to assume that we Irish would swallow such nonsense!.
Reply to Mary Stasia Concannon :
Much like James, you Mary assume us Irish to be still in some kind of twilight zone. An ever backward uneducated nation which is somewhat still stuck in the 1960’s or 1970’s.
Your comment: (quote) “I can’t wrap my head around the Yankee-phobia. Possibly it is rooted in the America/Britain “special relationship” palaver we had to endure listening to as Irish-Americans during the 70’s. In any event, the battle is bigger. It’s over the freedom of the individual which is under attack on all fronts and the best of Western Civilization, which I’m quite fond of.” (end quote).
While I admire you selfishness , as one who wishes the best for his / her nation, that is as it should be!. However, may I remind you that, what the author spoke of was /is the welfare of an island nation, his island nation, the Irish Nation. Therefore, I assume that you above all, could only therefore admire the stance taken by the author. After all, the wants , desires and longing you so deride, due to what you assume as being Yankee – phobia , IS in fact Pro – Irish / European!, the authors little piece of Western Civilization of which no doubt, He is also quite fond of!.
Reply to Chad:
you state : (quote) “As an Irish-American who attended a Ukrainian parochial school in rural Pennsylvania, I have deep sympathies for the Ukrainian plight as they are mauled by the conscienceless Russian Bear.” (end quote).
“mauled by the conscienceless Russian Bear”. One has to concede the fact, that when it comes to sensational and impact filled statements, the US no doubt holds aloft that particular bar!.
But the question which is not often asked nor answered is, where would such a Russophobic statement come from?. In my many years of existence , I have time and again asked this very question. Sadly, I have never been given a satisfactory answer!.
I have asked both US friends and Russian friends, where they thought such statements come from. One would answer , Oh it comes as a direct result of the Russian period under direct rule of Stalin!.
The second replied: No it’s a punishment, used against all Russians, simply an invention of the United States! .
I am sure even the least politically aware among us, could easily spot from the two answers, which came from the US subject and which from the Russian subject.
Chad, As an Irish-American who attended a Ukrainian parochial school in rural Pennsylvania, were / are you as concerned for Ukrainian Civilians from within the Donbass?, who through absolutely NO Fault of their making, have directly suffered over 8 years of destruction, death and in some cases hunger?.
I ask these questions to understand your position , as generations of Eastern Ukrainians have lived in these areas in absolute peace. For generations these same Ukrainians of the Donbass, provided at least 70% of all the requirements to sustain Ukraine, their nation!. For generations these same Ukrainians were mocked by those better off, in Kiev, who derided these folk for their simplistic way of life.
In fact, until this recent actions by Russia, Eastern Ukraine was considered the bread basket of Ukraine.
The situation in the Donbass could have for further generations , stayed as they have always been, and always were. But for the Kiev Coup of 2014, swiftly followed by the slaughter of more than 55 civilians (some estimates as high as 103) in the city of Odessa two months later, and the straw that finally broke the camels back, the insistence by Kiev that Russian would no longer be allowed to be spoken in Ukraine. Leaving generations of Eastern Ukrainians who only spoke Russian in their daily lives, in their work places, in their schools, hospitals and other government institutions , with the task of being forced to speak Ukrainian, absolutely and totally against their will!.
Since the slaughter of civilians in Odessa of 2014 and up to, and including today March 29th 2022, Over 14,000 civilians have lost their lives in the Eastern areas of Ukraine. Children, Mothers, Fathers, Grandparents and siblings lost forever !.
To those who have lost everything, your conclusion or claim (quote) “It is easy to theorize, from the relative safety of an office chair” (end quote), IS indeed most apt!.
But your statement opener (quote) “I have deep sympathies for the Ukrainian plight as they are mauled by the conscienceless Russian Bear. ” (end quote) will and does, leave a bad taste in the mouths of the families of over 14,000 who have died in the past 8 years or more, as the survivors seek comfort from having the Donbass secured from Ukrainian Nazi Nationalists.
You conclude with the following on Ukrainians: (quote) “They don’t need to theorize what kind of enjoyable life they will have under the heal of a Russian boot. They already know…” (end quote)
May I remind you, that the following nations know well, and most are still attempting recovery from having been forced under the heal of the American Boot!.
I am absolutely certain that Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq, the former Yugoslavia , Serbia & Syria to name but a small few of the most recent nations, to suffer at the hand of the United States, would consider themselves as having been ” mauled by the conscienceless Americans!!
Perhaps, he who resides in a Glass House, should be restricted from flinging stones!
To conclude, My congratulations to the author of this excellent article !. It is both, well considered and in consideration, it is rightly taken from a viewpoint of European and Irish security and for the betterment of the authors nation.
To the author Ciaran Brennan my sincere respect for an exceptionally well written article.