A former Army officer and defence commentator has identified the EU country that he believes is the weakest point in Europe’s defences against Russian aggression . Hamish de Bretton-Gordon OBE, who served in the British Army for 23 years, believes that the Republic of Ireland , known for its neutrality for over a century, is an “open goal” for Moscow .

The country’s leftwing president Catherine Connolly famously declared last year before her election victory that “Ireland will never be able to have an army. We do not need an army”. For de Bretton-Gordon, it is the country’s neutrality and views of its leaders on the need for defence that make the company the Achilles heel of Europe. He told the Daily Mail : “Ireland has nothing to protect itself.

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