Daly and Wallace misunderstood the mood of being invaded

Their determination to reach consensus has helped to uncover scandals like the penalty points controversy, heralding major reforms in An Garda Síochána.

This time, the two MEPs were less likely to win the support of voters – they took a position that was in direct contrast to Volodymyr Zelensky’s. Basically, they don’t want the president of Ukraine and his defense forces to receive any foreign military aid. Their argument was that supplying the Ukrainians with weapons of war would only prolong the conflict with Russia.

As we know from his frequent television appearances, Zelensky almost daily begging for any weapon. All the while, a trail of human suffering – shown endlessly on our TV screens – stalks his country.

Wallace and Daly looked tense this week, but firmly stuck to their core argument.

Undoubtedly, they are not alone arguing that things could have been handled differently regarding Russian-Ukrainian relations in recent years. Could a more sensitive approach to the Kremlin’s security concerns of previous Ukrainian governments – and those of the United States and NATO – deter Russia’s attack?

This would involve Kyiv’s pledge not to join any Western military alliance. In addition, the Ukrainians will probably have to concede some form of autonomy to the Russian-speaking regions of Crimea and the eastern regions that have been occupied by Russia since 2014.

However, given the course of the situation, it is unlikely that such concessions could prevent Vladimir Putin from a full-scale invasion of his neighbour.

There is ample evidence that the specter of an adjacent liberal democracy – with a population of 44 million – leaning towards the West economically and culturally is too much for him to bear.

The vicissitudes of Russia’s military campaign reveal a high level of paranoia in Moscow, fueling a determination that Ukraine must be suppressed, at any cost.

The Putin regime is fighting to maintain the same grip it holds over millions, and it still fears foreign influences that could cause instability or instability.

The problem for the two Irish MEPs is the unending images of entire populations being brutalized by the Russian war machine. Their arguments are considered ideological and devoid of realism. In fact, their suggestion that the Ukrainians should accept the invasion rarely stands up to hardline analysis.

Daly and Wallace’s stance that providing military aid to Ukraine would prolong the conflict meant they were among 13 MEPs voting against an EU proposal condemning the Russian invasion. Both indicated that they voted to condemn Russia’s aggression but opposed other accompanying provisions, including one that approved sending more supplies to Ukraine.

Daly did not vote on the entire proposal because it would “prolong the situation, make things worse”.

Both politicians emphasize that they are taking great pains to condemn Putin and his invading forces. However, Wallace added the warning after appearing on Virgin Media’s Tonight’s program this week: “The EU itself as an institution did not come out of it well. In my opinion, this war can be avoided. Putin was wrong 100pc. You can’t just say well, he’s a madman, so we can’t talk to him. Any form of negotiation requires compromise on both sides.

“I firmly believe that Russia has real security concerns about Nato’s entry into Ukraine. The expansion to the east of Nato since 1991 has been of no avail.”

As for Russia’s curbs on the domestic media, he said that in this war “the amount of disinformation being released from both sides is phenomenal”.

“I see the Irish media launching Fianna Fáilers and Fine Gaelers to promote American imperialism morning, noon and night,” says Wallace.

As the recap plays out, it’s hard to capture the mood of the moment.