Letter: Irish and EU leaders should set Russians an example by respecting Northern Ireland border
A letter from R G McDowell:
Many people have been expressing concerns that the international rules-based order has been breaking down in favour of strong men cutting deals.
Some European leaders have cited the Ukraine situation as a particular point of concern.
While Ukraine has certainly deprived Russia of a full victory by preventing the whole country being taken over and especially by making the Russians pay such a high price for the territory they have so far taken which has certainly left Russia weaker, it does seem like we are heading to an outcome in which Russia will have been successful in forcibly changing the borders of a near and smaller neighbour.
One of the main concerns is that this success will be an encouragement to other countries to invade near neighbours, with Taiwan always potentially vulnerable.
Has Europe really set a better example, however? The Russian invasion has been horrendous in terms of blood shed but as far as respecting the borders of a smaller neighbour goes, why is the Russian demand for Ukrainian territory wrong but Irish/European demand that Northern Ireland’s border should not be respected and we should be treated as if we were part of their economic territory right?
Russia are supposed to be the bad guys but Ireland/the EU as first world democracies were happy to disrespect our border when they had the influence to do so.
People might argue the scale of the two situations are different but if the democratic world is happy to breach these principles in small ways we cannot be surprised when less democratic countries don’t take our criticisms seriously when they choose to breach them in larger ways.
The Ukrainians should be commended for their commitment to preserve their country, and unionists in particular should be inspired by them to refuse to accept the narrative that you simply have no choice but to accept your fate.
If the Irish and EU leaders really want to support Ukraine, let them start by setting the Russians a better example and respecting the border of their own small and near neighbour here in Northern Ireland.
R G McDowell, Belfast BT5