As the war of words between Donald Trump and the EU continues to escalate, European countries have become increasingly concerned about their military reliance on the United States. As a result, the need to increase defence spending has become a major issue.
Germany has abandoned its ‘debt lock’ as it seeks to raise more funds for its military, while Macron has repeatedly spoken of the need to gain more ‘strategic autonomy’ away from America. Now the debate has even spread to Ireland, the country on the furthest western edge of the EU.
Traditionally, Ireland has prided itself on its neutrality or ‘military non-alignment’, while also enjoying a long-standing record of serving with UN peacekeeping forces, most notably in the Congo and southern Lebanon.
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