Advocating for limiting military aid to Ukraine and promoting the narrative of a ‘proxy war’ between Russia and NATO
The project “Shady Horses” delves into investigating Russian propaganda dissemination within Western countries through prominent individuals, often referred to as “talking heads.” By analyzing the influence and messaging of these figures, the project seeks to shed light on the tactics employed to spread Russian narratives, their impact on public opinion, and their potential connections to foreign organizations.
Clare Daly is an Irish politician and a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) known for her Trotskyist and Eurosceptic views. She was a founding member of “Militant Labour,” later known as the Socialist Party. As an MEP, Daly has been actively involved in left-wing politics and has gained international attention for her controversial foreign policy views, especially concerning Russia and China. Her position on these matters have sparked criticism and controversy in Europe, while receiving favourable coverage in China, Russia, and Syria.
A political duo of Clare Daly and left-wing populist Mick Wallace have been penalized in the European Parliament for travelling to Venezuela and Ecuador as unofficial election observers in 2021. These MEPs have also been criticised for visiting a Shiite Militant Group in Iraq and supporting Lukashenko in Belarus and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Daly consistently promoted a diplomatic resolution to Russia’s war in Ukraine, frequently challenging the efficacy of imposing sanctions on Russia and military assistance to Ukraine. Her rhetoric critical of the United States and EU continually aligns closely with many of the narratives espoused by the Kremlin.
She was recently included in the list of “speakers who promote narratives consonant with Russian propaganda” by the Center for Countering Disinformation, a working body of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council. In this list, Daly is being accused of sharing two narratives – that sanctions against Russia “make innocent people suffer” and that the Ukrainian conflict is “a proxy war between NATO and Russia.” Reacting to this, the politician accused Ukraine of a lack of democracy, which is also very much in the style of the Kremlin.
Who is this Shady Horse? Clare Daly, an Irish politician and MEP
Where are they from? Ireland
Political affiliation? Member of “Independents 4 Change”, part of “The Left in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL”.
What have they been saying?…
…for too long, the world has been dominated by the US, who has acted in its own interests, as all countries do. But unfortunately, that interest was to the detriment of people all over the world, and all of us are paying a price for that
The actual fact of the matter, Ukraine and Russia did sit down in April, they did agree the outlines of an agreement and it was the UK and the US who prevented them from signing that.
The west is arming Ukraine to the point of keeping the conflict going.
The point that we’re making is that this narrative that somehow the war is happening because we’re dealing with some crazed maniac in the form of Putin is a distortion of the reality that one of the contributing factors to this situation has been the constant destabilization of that region by Nato.
As war in Ukraine escalates out of control, out come the vicious, scapegoating slurs against those who speak for peace: “cronies,” “puppets,” “stooges,” “agents.” Opposing the horror of war is not “anti-European,” “anti-Ukrainian” or “pro-Russian.” It’s common sense.
As MEPs chant “glory,” Ukraine is burning through a generation of men, never to be replaced. It is callous and insensitive to what is being lost.
While sons of the connected and privileged get exit letters, 1000s of Ukrainian students are blocked by Ukraine’s education minister from exercising their right to travel abroad to study. Who will “stand with” them? So-called “friends of Ukraine” in EU governments have done nothing.
We don’t all have to agree with the government. Ukraine increasingly becoming a mirror image of the repression we see in Russia.
They eliminated their neutrality and that was one of the reasons why we’re in the situation that we’re in now because they became puppets of another power who’s using them and their people and their blood is being shed in their country for a war that’s of no benefit to them
What Europe should have done is playing the role of negotiating a peace settlement, getting Ukraine and Russia around the table in serious way…Ukraine’s neutrality has to be part of the settlement.