The politicisation of morality in German and Irish discourses on Ukraine

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine precipitated a renegotiation of the militarily non-aligned states of the EU and challenged the moral underpinnings of conflict politics in other states. In Germany and Ireland, two countries that ultimately took different paths on the decision to arm Ukraine, the narrative of ‘moral’ duty in Europe has been especially pronounced. This paper analyses how German and Irish political actors used ‘morality’ in two country-wide efforts to discuss the future of national security politics: the ‘Zeitenwende on Tour’ town halls from 2022–2024 and the Consultative Forum on International Security Policy in 2023. These fora provided opportunities for political elites to frame the arming question as moral or immoral while including immediate feedback from constituents. In analysing how German and Irish leaders and opposition speak about weapons, conflict, and moral obligation, we demonstrate that this war has led to a politicisation of morality itself.