Showing posts with label #Russia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #Russia. Show all posts

Strategic Dependency: Ireland's Aughinish Lesson

What happens when foreign investment becomes a matter of national security?

An investigation by The Irish Times in March revealed how alumina produced at Aughinish Alumina in County Limerick has been exported to Russian smelters whose aluminium has entered supply chains serving Russia's defence industry. The story has reignited debate about Ireland's relationship with strategically important foreign-owned assets, EU sanctions, and the unintended consequences of global supply chains.

In this episode of Perspectives with Neilo, Neil O'Sullivan is joined by Dr Eoin McNamara (X: @McNamara_Eoin), Postdoctoral Fellow in the Global Security and Governance Programme at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs in Helsinki, to examine what the investigation revealed—and the much bigger questions it raises for Ireland and Europe.

Together they discuss:

• The significance of the Aughinish Alumina story and why it attracted attention across Europe.

• Why alumina remains outside the current EU sanctions regime despite Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

• The difficult political, economic and moral choices facing the Irish Government.

• How authoritarian states such as Russia and China use investment, trade and critical industries to create long-term strategic dependencies.

• Why economic security has become one of the defining geopolitical challenges facing democratic countries.

• What Ireland should learn about foreign direct investment, critical infrastructure and protecting national resilience in an increasingly uncertain world.

This conversation goes beyond one refinery in County Limerick. It explores how economic relationships can become strategic leverage, why democracies often struggle to unwind these dependencies, and what policymakers must consider when balancing jobs, investment, national security and foreign policy.

If you enjoy thoughtful conversations about geopolitics, economic security, foreign influence, European affairs and Ireland's place in a changing world, subscribe to Perspectives with Neilo and share this episode with others interested in the forces shaping our future.


Date of Recording: July 3rd, 2026

The thumbnail shows a view of the Aughinish Alumina refinery as seen from Foynes in Co. Limerick. The refinery is in the distance and in the foreground is the port of Foynes with a number of small sail boats anchored in the waters of the estuary.
Aughinish Alumina Refinery as viewed from Foynes, Co. Limerick

DIVE DEEPER

Additional information on the topics covered in this episode:



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  • The FIMI Iceberg - Decoding Foreign Interference Threats - Interview with Dr. Eoin McNamara (April 2025)



Audio Credits
Sound Soul (This Logo Reveal) by Diamond_Tunes via Pixabay 
Dreamy Downtempo Music by Tunetank via Pixabay

 

Cable Sabotage in the Baltic

 Two subsea cables, one linking Finland and Germany and the other connecting Sweden and Lithuania were damaged in less then 24 hours on November 17th and 18th, prompting German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to say he assumed it was sabotage!

The suspected culprit is a Chinese registered bulk carrier - the Yi Peng 3 - which was traveling through the area after departing the Russian port of Ust Liga, West of St. Petersburg on November 15th. 

Reuters news agency have quoted Western intelligence officials from multiple countries as saying that they are confident the Chinese ship caused the cuts to both cables, but they have expressed different views on whether these were accidents or could have been deliberate.

This is not the first time a Chinese vessel has been suspected of damaging subsea infrastructure in this region and it raises concerns of a wider pattern of hybrid warfare. 

My guest in this episode is Eoin McNamara (@McNamara_Eoin) who is a Research Fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs in Helsinki. I spoke to him about recent events, the reactions in the region and the implications for countries like Ireland and the broader EU.



Date of Recording: December 3rd, 2024.


Main picture shows the Chinese ship accused of cutting cables in the Baltic Sea. Insets show (1) alleged patents for anchor like cable cutting devices and (2)map of the 2 cables that were cut in the Baltic. Listen to the podcast at www.pwneilo.com
Chinese bulk carrier Yi Peng 3, suspected of involvement in cable severing in the Baltic,
Insert top: Alleged Chinese patents for anchor like cable cutting devices.
Insert bottom: Map showing the two cut cables in the Baltic Sea.


DIVE DEEPER:

Additional information on the topics covered in this episode:


You might also like:


Image Credits:
Podcast thumbnail: stablediffusionweb.com
Main image (above): Mikkel Berg Pedersen/Ritzau Scanpix via AP

#China, #YiPeng3, #Baltic, #BalticSea, #Cablesabotage, #EU, #Ireland, #Russia, #Greyzone, #Grayzone, #FIIA, #newnewpolarbear

Election 2024 - The Other Important Issues

Ireland's General Election will take place on Friday November 29th, 2024. Overall, 685 candidates are running across 43 constituencies for 174 seats in the next Dail or Parliament. 

Much of the focus and discussion so far has been on what the mainstream media have dubbed 'Auction Politics' as politicians and their parties try to better each other with promises of various benefits if elected. Examples include, free university fees, child care benefits, dropping the USC charge, reducing the VAT rate on hospitality and so on. 

While many of these areas are genuinely important, the relentless competition for votes between the different party candidates means that the conversation around a few core issues (cost of living, housing, healthcare) tends to dominate the media coverage at the expense of other topics.

In this episode, we take a closer look at the three main party's manifestos to see what they have to say about some of the other important issues. Specifically, defending Ireland's democracy, our values and our freedoms, the role of the Media and Press freedom, as well as the party's positions on Foreign Policy, supporting Ukraine, plus their positions on Defense and Security.


Date of Recording: November 26th, 2024.


Portrait pictures of the leaders of Ireland's main political parties (L to R) Micheal Martin, Fianna Fail, Mary Lou McDonald, Sinn Fein, Simon Harris, Fine Gael
The leaders of Ireland's main political parties (L to R) Micheal Martin, Fianna Fail, Mary Lou McDonald, Sinn Fein, Simon Harris, Fine Gael

DIVE DEEPER:

Additional information on the topics discussed in this episode:

  • All of the manifestos referred to in this podcast are available on the party's websites


Audio transition: Sound Soul by Diamond_Tunes, Pixabay

#GE24, #FiannaFail, #FineGael, #SinnFein, #Defenddemocracy, #AuctionPolitics, #CriticalThinking, #ETNC, #MERICS, #RSF, #Russia, #China, #Taiwan, #Vote, #Ukraine, #ForeignPolicy, #PressFreedom, #Security, #Defence, #Defense

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