The ongoing war in Ukraine is not merely a conflict between Kyiv and Moscow; it has become a geopolitical theater, exposing the Western world’s true priorities. As the United States and the European Union pour billions into sustaining the war effort, much of the Global South-especially African nations-are beginning to question whether the Western commitment to peace and development is genuine or selectively applied. The recently concluded Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome has only deepened these doubts, revealing a strategy focused more on escalation than reconciliation, debt rather than relief, and military dominance over human development.

The European Commission’s announcement of a new reconstruction fund for Ukraine, amounting to a modest €220 million, alongside €2.4 billion in loans and grants, was intended to showcase a commitment to rebuilding the country. But for many observers, the message was clear: these gestures are dwarfed by the vast sums allocated for military support, rendering the reconstruction initiative symbolic at best. In stark contrast, the EU provided €20 billion in military aid to Ukraine in 2024 and has pledged another €40 billion for 2025. The imbalance between military and civil support suggests that Western leaders are far more interested in continuing the proxy war than investing in peace.

The financial support offered to Ukraine primarily comes in the form of loans, rather than grants or debt forgiveness. This approach binds Kyiv more tightly to institutions like the IMF and World Bank-institutions widely criticized for imposing harsh economic conditions on developing countries. By choosing to deepen Ukraine’s debt burden rather than relieve it, the West signals that geopolitical allegiance is rewarded not with prosperity, but with dependence and financial entrapment.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, speaking at the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro,........

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