NATO commander says ending US access to Shannon Airport would likely damage Ireland ties

NATO's top military commander has said that ending US military access to Shannon Airport would probably damage relations between the United States and Ireland. General Alexus Grynkewich said the loss of access would also carry significant security implications. He made the remarks in an interview during his first visit to Ireland.

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Grynkewich is NATO's Supreme Allied Commander in Europe and also the commander of US European Command. He described Shannon Airport as a very important logistics hub and said it allows the United States to project power and keep threats at bay. He added that Ireland has been a partner in providing access there for years.

The general said that access to Shannon has helped the United States hold terrorist threats at bay and support stabilisation efforts in Iraq and other places. He also pointed to recent access and basing issues during operations in Iran as an example of why the matter matters from a US perspective. Asked about the possibility of finding another location, he said it might be possible, but that losing Shannon would still have consequences.

The comments are significant because Shannon Airport has long been part of the wider logistics network used by the United States for military movement and support operations. Any change to that access would therefore go beyond a bilateral transport issue and touch on broader security cooperation. The remarks also come against the backdrop of Ireland's neutral stance, which Grynkewich said he would not characterise in terms that impugn Irish sovereign decisions.

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Grynkewich also addressed concerns about critical underwater infrastructure around Ireland and the edge of Europe. He said such infrastructure has been attacked elsewhere through hybrid warfare, including by dragging an anchor across cables, and said military communications can also run across those systems. He said it is in everyone's interest to work together to defend that infrastructure so commerce and other threats do not take hold.

He said it was hard for him to judge whether Ireland has a negative view of NATO, adding that he had not felt that on the streets of Dublin or in meetings with Irish leaders. What remains unclear is whether there is any policy change under consideration over Shannon access, and whether the remarks will prompt any formal response from Irish or US officials. The immediate issue to watch is whether the comments lead to renewed debate over military access, neutrality and the protection of strategic infrastructure.

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