McEntee Open to Ukraine Drone Defense Talks

0:00On March 31st, Ireland's minister for defense, Helen McIntee, just said she's open to chatting drone defenses with Ukraine. She's in key right now, after linking up with EU-4 ministers and President Volodymyr Zelensky. McIntee already talked drones with her Ukrainian counterpart and checked out their air and ground displays firsthand. Ukraine's even sending experts to the Middle East to help spots like Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Air of Emirates counter-Iranian Shaheed drones. McIntee knows Ukraine packs serious lethal drone tech, but Ireland's all about defensive gear. There are procurement talks with France and other countries ahead of Ireland's EU presidency in July. Back home, there are worries that the defense forces new counter-drones set up might only secure one spot at a time, probably Baldenell. But McIntee's had deep talks with Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan, Guardi, and the military. She stressed a big push for equipment covering land and sea. Today, she visited Bukha for a commemoration of the massacre where Russian forces killed hundreds of civilians four years back.

1:04Being there hit her hard mass graves, tortured bodies, photos in the church, it drove home that Russia is the aggressor, and must face accountability. McIntee also back Ireland's strict rules on military aircraft, like those from the 1950s, no landings for planes in active combat, period. That stance holds firm no matter what.