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LAST UPDATE | 3 Aug 2022
SABINA HIGGINS’ LETTER to the Irish Times, which was posted on the President of Ireland’s website, has attracted unfavourable media coverage at home and abroad. It has unnecessarily damaged Ireland’s reputation regarding its position on Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The letter would almost certainly have escaped attention but for the identity and status of its author.
It quickly and embarrassingly attracted the endorsement of the Russian ambassador to Ireland, Yury Filatov. With breathtaking hypocrisy, the Kremlin representative told us “we are all against war”, even as his counterparts in Russia’s London embassy tweeted comments that Ukrainian POWs deserved to die a humiliating death.
The controversy soon gathered pace and headlines such as “Irish president’s wife wins Kremlin kudos for Ukraine peace letter” appeared in the international media.
Dismay
In stark contrast, Ukrainians, not least amongst the ever-expanding number of refugees who have fled to Ireland, expressed alarm, dismay, and hurt. Former Ukrainian first lady, Kateryna Yushchenko said she was “saddened and surprised” that the letter didn’t recognise Ukraine’s existential threat. Ukrainian MP Kira Rudik said it was “extremely easy to comment on the war when you are not inside the war, and when it is not your country that is being attacked”.
The issue was transformed further when the letter appeared on the President of Ireland’s official website. This magnified in a very significant way the perception that the letter somehow represented an official position or had the president’s imprimatur.
Sabina Higgins has since clarified that the letter was published to a dedicated section on the President.ie website which she has had since 2014. She subsequently took it down when she saw it being presented as not being from her, but from the general President.ie website.
The letter itself was significantly at odds with Irish government policy. On the day the scandal broke, Ireland’s Ambassador to the United Nations emphasised that “at every meeting on Ukraine, Ireland has called on Russia to end this war and withdraw its forces. Too many people have lost their homes. Too many people have died. Russia alone bears responsibility for this war. Russia alone can end it.”
Commenting on this statement, Ireland’s former ambassador to the EU and the UK, Bobby McDonagh, tweeted: “This is what being truly anti-war in Ukraine looks like. The principled and only position of Ireland”.
Unpacking the letter
In a statement yesterday evening, Higgins clarified that she had “strongly condemned the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine” from the outset. She added that she was dismayed that people “would find anything unacceptable in a plea for peace and negotiations when the future of humanity is threatened by war, global warming and famine”.
Even at this late stage, Sabina Higgins says she does not recognise why her letter generated consternation and distress, particularly amongst Ukrainians. Understanding those reasons is an important first step in learning lessons from this episode.
The letter begins by controversially advocating a tripartite “peace settlement” between Ukraine, Russia, and (non-defined) “separatists”. There is repeated mention of war but nothing about Russia’s invasion or war crimes. No distinction is made between aggressor and victim. It is implied that presidents Putin and Zelenskyy have an equal responsibility to stop the carnage.
Calling for “peace”, as she did in the original letter, is one thing, but what might “peace” look like? The only clue we got was Higgins’ reference to an op-ed written by retired history professor Geoffrey Roberts in which he argues that the carving up of Ukraine by Russia is inevitable and so Ukrainians should be persuaded to settle now or lose more land/people later.
Without any qualifications, Sabina Higgins described this op-ed as “so welcome” and “thought-out”. The fact that no attempt was made to dissociate herself from the views accepting the dismemberment of Ukraine is remarkable.
To further her argument, Higgins then referred to “our own conflicts” and maintained that in the 1916 Rising, the War of Independence, and the Civil War “the fighting was ended by a ceasefire being called, followed by negotiation”.
This is neither relevant nor accurate. The civil war, for example, didn’t end with negotiations; the anti-Treaty side unilaterally dumped arms. In 1916, the Irish rebels unconditionally surrendered, were rounded up and shot. This is hardly a model Ukrainians would be keen to follow. Indeed, it is what they fear most, which is why many have said that if Ukraine wins, there will be no war but if Russia wins, there will be no Ukraine.
The letter finishes with reference to the First World War, a conflict between empires fighting for no great cause, which is easy to depict as senseless. The choice of poem with which the letter concludes – exhorting combatants to “quit thy foolish ways” – must seem particularly insensitive and patronising to Ukrainians under vicious attack.
This current conflagration is more akin to events that took place during World War 2 when a large nationalistic dictatorship sought to destroy its neighbours.
Sabina Higgins wrote in that letter of a “moral choice” that must be faced. Russia has the choice of stopping its murderous war at any time, but Ukrainians do not believe they have the option to stop defending themselves. Surely the real “moral choice” is whether or not to provide as much support for Ukraine as possible?
Donnacha Ó Beacháin is Professor of Politics at Dublin City University. For more than two decades he has worked and researched in the post-Soviet region and has published widely on the subject.
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Never seen such legs for such a non story
@Michael Nolan: Far from a non-story I’m afraid. Analysis in this article is spot on. Another thing …Mrs. Higgins shouldn’t have a “dedicated space” on the official webpage at all.
@Patrick King: yet it’s only become a problem since she stated an opinion that is contrary to the status quo.
@Maria Hickey-Fagan: maybe people were not aware she had a spot, I for one didn’t and don’t think she should have
@Margaret Deacon: why not?
@Patrick King: why not ?
@Margaret Deacon: Michelle Obama in the US always had a ‘spot’. Or is that because she support the ‘correct’ causes.
@Michael Nolan: Honestly, what is the media agenda with this? it really is so ridiculous.
@Michael Nolan: Wagatha Christie seems much more of a non story with legs. Manufactured so the tabloids can get their ad revenue.
@Sinéad O’Brien: Eh….because she’s not President. Fairly straightforward really.
@Joe Bloggs: Totally different. We don’t have a “first lady” in our system.
@Keith Twamley: Honestly, I think it’s a witch hunt by the media precipitated by President Higgins remarks about our homeless crisis which seriously annoyed the government.
@Joe Bloggs: We don’t have to follow what the Americans do.
@Frank Cauldhame: the fact that it was published on the president’s website means it goes against the constitution of this country, I thought sinn Fein had begun to recognize the constitution but obviously not going by the reaction of their supporters to this story.
@Michael Nolan: The Russian Ambassador didn’t think it was a no story
@Maria Hickey-Fagan: Contrary to Official Foreign Policy, and unconditional use of Presidential website. Warmly welcomed by the Russian Ambassador.
@Marg FitzGerald: Well the Irish government and the Joe Duffy version of journalism certainly did. Irish version of McCarthyism.
@Donal Desmond: Joe Duffy is a trouble maker and his opinion is the only one that matters according to him. I would like to hear what other listeners are trying to say but they get no chance. Joe’s loud voice takes over.
@Maria Hickey-Fagan: the status quo being its wrong to invade a neighbouring country, rape women and children and destroy every building standing so those who escape have nothing to return to?
That status quo?
@Patrick King: bare foot and in the kitchen eh doesn’t hold with me.
@Breda Appleby: Agree 100%…
@Michael Nolan: Not sure how that comment is directed at me? A mistake somewhere I assume.
@Patrick King: sorry about really woman been treated like second class citizens.
@Margaret Deacon: Why not? She should be seen and not heard? shes a public figure but in this almost dystopian era you cant say anything without being verbally annihilated for it which is fine, free speech and all, but the problem then is people wont let it go and want consequences as well. All for having an opinion and feelings about something
If only these politicians were as outraged about the housing crisis and cost of living issues, they might actually do something constructive.
@Shane Cassidy: Too busy lining up multi-million contracts to temporarily “house” people. Or distract from the substandard constructions of the boom.
@Shane Cassidy: sadly, caring about your own people doesn’t get you brownie points in Europe.
Because ireland is such a political powerhouse. Give over – this is revenge for The president’s criticism of the housing “disaster”.
@Peter McGlynn: So what are the Higgins actually doing about any of this stuff?
@Mark B: Now that’s whataboutery at its absolute worst.
@Peter McGlynn: if you don’t like the message cancel the messenger , seems to be the strategy operating here.
@Peter McGlynn: the Shinner bots do seem to have been instructed to push this angle ok. Apparently this was some sort of elaborate FG? (is that the word from the Politburo) plan to instigate controversy in the Aras as a way of payback for a comment that MDH made on the housing crisis. Presumably Ukrainians in expressing their own anger were complicit. The Shinners certainly have some imaginations. By their collective support for Sabina they seem to think that fascist regimes should be negotiated with. Looks like the pro Putin support in SF is still alive and well despite the web site cleansing.
Was Macron hounded in the French press for telling Zelensky that concessions would need to be made?
@GrumpyAulFella: Seriously you have a problem S.F is living constantly in your head. Not matter the article you manage to bring them into it. Sabina Higgins letter is a complete and utter non story. It v
baffles me the amount of FF/FG T.Ds and senators speaking out. What I would like to know I what is their agenda because something else is obviously going on behind the scenes. Nothing she said was incorrect ot inflammatory no war will end without negotiations and peace talks. N.Ireland being a prime example. It was a complete storm in a teacup.
@Frances Casey: if you read this very good article you’ll find out exactly what was wrong with it. SF supporters trying to insinuate that the govt are somehow trying to get revenge on MDH for a comment that he made re housing is comical.
@Peter McGlynn: Going back to the “housing disaster ‘, how many spare rooms are in the Àras with the last few years. How are they being utilised. How many properties does the Higgins’s own while living in the Phoenix Park. Are they occupied or vacant.
@GrumpyAulFella: i thinking FF and FG senators are pushing this. You could do with an auld hug, you seem very tetchy. Go and have an ice cream and a packet of hoola hoops.
@Brian Madden: you ok lad? Wow they must be bribing Ukrainians so to force their backlash. Some imagination the Shinners have all the same. Everyone of the bots coming out and saying that it’s a government plot to smear the Aras. Comical. You can go back to your alphabet spaghetti now.
@GrumpyAulFella: I am not a SF voter. You seem obsessed with them. They’re living in your head rent free.
@Mark B: Getting people talking about it.
@GrumpyAulFella: Have you “shiner bots” under the bed??? There must be a treatment available
@Jim O’Sullivan: are you shining your bots Jim? Best keep that one to yourself.
@Brian Madden: the paranoia must be terrible if you are “thinking that FF and FG senators are pushing this”. Haven’t independents also commented on it? I haven’t seen anything from SF on it but that’s not unusual as they’ll normally wait to see what way the wind is blowing. The fact that Boyd Barrett (as red as they come) supports a suggestion that Ukraine negotiate with Russia should send warning signals to everyone and all of the 47,000 refugees that have come here from Ukraine. Tell those 47,000 to negotiate with Russia and see what answer you get.
@GrumpyAulFella: this is exactly the type of absurd attention poor articles like this one attract.
@Wooden Spoon: I feel your comment sums up the opinion of the majority of the country . We’re sick of the circus the politicians and media are making of it. They should do some real work instead of attacking an 80 year old who calls for peace in times of death and destruction of innocent people .
@Jp Vaughan: Just wondering if my comment was in anyway controversial JP as its been deleted now after rising to the top. I guess it’s best not to question The Journal and even better to slate an 80 year old woman who wants to see peace in the world.
@Wooden Spoon: Maybe its better not to write a comment that has clear ageist and misogynistic content?
@Tom Hogarty: He didn’t. He’s saying maybe that’s what he should be writing so it doesn’t get deleted
@Roy Dowling: You really need to see the original posting to have that opinion and, I only asked the question of the poster (are ye all in a cube together somewhere?).
@Tom Hogarty: No not a cube silly. We’re in a warehouse in Moscow churning out bots for Putin. I’ll tell wooden spoon to reply to you when he’s finished giving his report to Putin.
@Roy Dowling: Everyone knows the report is to be made to Sergey Lavrov!
@Tom Hogarty: Hi Tom, just out of a meeting with Putin and back in my cube. Is everything ok? And no I’m not being agesit or sexist about Ms Higgins. It was a tongue in cheek remark because I had done the exact opposite in my original comment and the Journal decided to remove it as it wasn’t fitting their narrative. In short I told them politely that they’re making an issue out of a non issue and to leave the poor woman alone. I recommend that the journalists here and political professor who authored the column to maybe do some real journalism and case studies on actual politics instead.
@Tom Hogarty: I replied to the original comment and can assure all it implied was that the media and politicians should not be attacking an 80 year old woman whose only quest was for peace and dialogue .
@Wooden Spoon: I was shocked to see it removed as I felt it had nothing controversial or implied anything negative. Quite the opposite really .
I don’t get the current media and politicians headhunting narrative against Mrs Higgins. It feels like a mud flinging exercise .
Thank you for giving this analysis, it is refreshing in it’s clarity and unbiased, both things that seem rare in media writing these days, well done you!
@Tom Hogarty: that’s what happens when they don’t get a biased journalist to write the piece
Sad that we live in a world where a call for peace and negotiation is seen as damaging. Curious to know how the critics see this war ending. If not through negotiation, then what?
@Maria Hickey-Fagan: They don’t see it ending. They are happy to see it continue until the last Ukrainian.
@Roy Dowling: the Ukrainian solidiers would say different they are fighting for the existence of their country. I don’t think we will see any peace talks until once side has a lot more leverage like ground taken this won’t be a short war.
@shligo boyzz: Oh look someone has finally woken up and realised the obvious. Last week the link you posted said the war would be over by winter with russian troops walking back to Russia. Russia was desperate and thing will change quickly.
@Roy Dowling: I’m sticking with what I’m saying there will be a turning point in this war for Ukraine, Russia are getting desperate and their logistics are very poor .Never said it would be a short war that article sums up Russian logistic problems.
@shligo boyzz: Are you reading comics for your information on what’s happening in the War in Ukraine? or …..
Oh yes! Our utterly propagandized Irish media that laps up whatever is published on English & American Media websites and then regurgitates it for the benefit of Irish readers. You won’t know up in Sligo, certainly not from the Journal, that Russian, LPR and DPR Forces have overwhelmed the Ukrainian Army Forces together with their Polish, Lithuanian, British, French and other wannabees as they retreat to the west from Donbass.
The only questions remaining to be answered are whether Russia will stop: it won’t and just how large will the pro-Russian Ukrainian Forces be that will join Russia as it overwhelms Ukraine as far west as the NW border of Transnistria and at least as far north as Sumy.
@Gregory Casey: I think your the one under the illusion of Russian propaganda lol your comment couldn’t be any further from the truth. Comment the same thing at the end of the month, the frontlines will be changed in Ukraine’s favour.
@Gregory Casey: 6 months into a suppose 3 day war from Russia Ukraine must be so overwhelmed.
Thank you Journal.ie for deleting another one of my comments because you couldn’t take the criticism over being called out for a non-story.
Perhaps another article about sending out fan mail to Kylie Minogue on official Government letterhead.
Give it a rest.
The guys making the bombs and guns are becoming very wealthy….. yes more war that’s what we want. War is a racket…
I was surprised she showed such poor judgement. She is entitled to her opinion but should not have used the official president’s website to push her view. That gives the impression the president and it could be construned Ireland support her view.
She should not have her own section on the president’s website, how this was let happen I don’t know,. She should have her own independent website so it is clear her views are not the president’s or Ireland’s.
The only people making a deal of this are the political, media etc elites. The ordinary people don’t care. If her letter was promoting more war, there’d probably be no issue.
Just park it and move on. Her intentions were well meant.
Welcome to modern Ireland, where we are all supposed to think and say the same thing. As evidenced with this non-issue and also with anyone that questioned the restrictions around covid. Nobody supposed to go against the groupthink narrative. Sabina did not say anything that bad at the end of the day and is entitled to her opinion.
@Mario: Ireland has a new culture, now it’s called cancel culture
How can such a non story be stretched out for yet another day? Remember this when TheJournal is asking you to make contributions to their ongoing operations
The so-called “controversy” was created by journalists, with too much blank space to fill in the silly season, there was no hint of “moral equivalence” in ms. Higgins letter, still less did she voice any hint of approval for the actions of Russia.
What she said was that peace can only come when both sides sit down and negotiate. Junior school politics?
Sabina was correct to lift her head above the parapet and call for peace… the bulk of the establishment cower behind the parapet and wait to be told what the correct line is by those who brought about and maintain this war
@Fergus Quinlan: Not really. Most people want Russia to go back where they came. You don’t negotiate with genocidal regimes.
Amazing that all those unelected FFG & PD senators and establishment “experts” had nothing to say about the illegal invasion of Iraq by NATO members, which caused the death of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians.
There are political mechanisms in place to fix issues like this. For example, Brian McElduff (Ireland’s Ambassador in Russia) can easily let his counterparts know “that’s just Sabina… ignore her”.
But instead, our journos need clicks to survive, and they need to appear as if they all disagree with Sabina, lest they not be considered as saints amongst their mobs.
Sabina isn’t perfect, but she’s got every right to air her opinions and to be debated into changing her mind, not have her letter cancelled. We’re no better than Russia if we cancel our influencer’s opinions.
Blah Blah Blah
@Micheal Carey: isn’t that some kind of Waterford sandwich
Just drop the blooming thing, On and on and this Author is now hanging off so many coattails and regurgitating the same ol’ stuff.
Drop it and write about something else, maybe consider an article about wasting INK !
The far left ideologies in the mainstream media have made this into a story from it being a non-story, just because it goes against the current thing, just to warmonger and make sure no one steps out of line from the goosestepping current thing. But what else can you expect from people who bow and sell their soul to the psychopathic so called”elites” and their agendas, who don’t care about people just about making money and what is good for Business.
@Ian E. Moon: If you took the time to actually assess this whole debacle you’d see its not the “far left” at all it’s centre right and right wing Senators and media people that are pushing this.
@FiannaFáilness FineGaelness: there are no centre centre right or right wing in Irish politics anymore just different degrees of left wing ideas, fianna fail is suppose to be a Republican party but push for guy verhofstadt’s United States of Europe, just like sinn fein is suppose to be a national party but it’s main concern is given the EU more control of Ireland and the current thing the mainstream media is pushing. Fine gael are nothing but EU federalists, pb4p and the green party are just communists, it’s just the greens cover their communism in green techno talk. Remember what Michael Martin said in the dail ” we Don’t want anything to do with a backwards idea like Sovereignty”.they just saying what the psychopathic “elite’s” want them to say.
This is more nonsense from the “establishment’s” perspective. The more they dig to find ammunition to fire at Higgins the more desperate they seem. Calling for peace negotiations is correct and far better than calling for more arms to be thrown into the area. An international peace conference should be set up and all stakeholders invited to attend and far from what Mr O Beacháin says, no one knows the shape of any agreement that might emerge from such a conference. Russia might very well settle for a neutral Ukraine I salute Sabrina’s humanity and courage and I sincerely hope that when Michael’s term ends she will consider running for the office. Maybe the author here might throw his hat in the ring.
The government has ordered that Sabina’s Biro be confiscated immediately
Quite right Shane cassidy. Such nonsense to spend so much time waffling about a peace activist calling for an end to death and destruction and suffering on all sides. Let’s put our energy into building a world that is secure and protective of all.
I get the impression it’s the holiday season forThe Journal. And rightly so. We all need a break. But the lack of stories and reporting is palpable of late.
This article is utter nonsense and it’s author should try another career.
That’s it. The Journal.ie Uninstalled. It’s a Non Story. Give it over will ye. Nobody gives a shite what and where she sent it said it or posted it. FFS.
She had clarified her statement, what do people want her to do, go to Moscow and solve the whole situation?
Hardly, it was a letter by wife of the president whose own role is symbolic. Making a big deal out of nothing. Slow news week
This most definitely IS a NON STORY . What is the hysteria about??, The woman made a statement as She is fully entitled to do . She is entitled to have an opinion just like everyone else . She expressed her opinion, whether you agree with her opinion is neither here nor there .
She called for dialogue and negotiations, — that is how disputes are resolved . I totally agree that she is fully entitled to express her opinion. I cannot understand TDs and Senator’s making big deals of it ,— is it to deflect attention from other SERIOUS. Issues that they really should be talking about,— like the ruination of RURAL IRELAND and the attempted destruction of THE FARMING COMMUNITY by Ryan and the Greens??.
Donnacha Ó Beacháin has become very much RTÉ’s oracle on the war in Ukraine. He has a distinguished academic CV and has published widely on the post-Soviet non-Russian states/nations. His expertise in the area cannot be doubted. I wonder though if he is too black and white in his view of the present conflict in Ukraine? While I accept there is abundant evidence of Russian war crimes and atrocities, is it taking it too far to compare Putin to Hitler (Ó Beacháin doesn’t do this directly but it is strongly implied in his comparison of the present war with the Second World War ‘when a large nationalistic dictatorship sought to destroy its neighbours’). Are there not issues of realpolitik involved in the present conflict and is there not a strong element of a proxy war going on here, with NATO using the conflict to test its weaponry against the Russian arsenal? There is an underlying assumption that the war can be contained as an open-ended grinding land conflict and that it won’t escalate to a more catastrophic level involving nuclear arms. I think Sabina Higgins’ letter expresses an unease felt by many Irish people that the present situation is too replete with danger to be allowed to continue indefinitely. At the moment we are just passively carried along in the EU/NATO jet stream but is this good enough? Should we not be using our neutral/non-combatant status to be more active in promoting an end to this terrible conflict. Overall I think I’m with Sabina Higgins’s effort, however awkwardly expressed, to at least open dialogue on the issue.
Awful tie donnacha haha let me know ll hook ya up wit some style
Donnacha Ó Beacháin has become very much RTÉ’s oracle on the war in Ukraine. He has a distinguished academic CV and has published widely on the post-Soviet non-Russian states/nations. His expertise in the area cannot be doubted. I wonder though if he is too black and white in his view of the present conflict in Ukraine? While I accept there is abundant evidence of Russian war crimes and atrocities, is it taking it too far to compare Putin to Hitler (Ó Beacháin doesn’t do this directly but it is strongly implied in his comparison of the present war with the Second World War with an ultra-nationalist regime attacking its neighbours). Are there not issues of realpolitik involved in the present conflict and is there not a strong element of a proxy war going on here, with NATO using the conflict to test its weaponry against the Russian arsenal? There is an underlying assumption that the war can be contained as an open-ended grinding land conflict and that it won’t escalate to a more catastrophic level involving nuclear arms. I think Sabina Higgins’ letter expresses an unease felt by many Irish people that the present situation is too replete with danger to be allowed to continue indefinitely. At the moment we are just passively carried along in the EU/NATO jet stream but is this good enough? Should we not be using our neutral/non-combatant status to be more active in promoting an end to this terrible conflict. Overall I think I’m with Sabina Higgins’s effort, however awkwardly expressed, to at least open dialogue on the issue.
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