The Ukraine war reminded many of what had happened eight decades ago when Hitler’s forces invaded Poland, which triggered WW2. Hitler’s and Putin’s expansionist adventures are similar; Russia’s invasion is seen as a reaction to NATO expansion around Russia. However, those days were different. The world was dominated by imperial powers which no longer exist. Today big powers operate through regime change and policy imposition on weaker nations.
On the other hand, predictions about the Russian economy proved to be wrong as recent analysis shows Russian GDP has grown by 3 percent despite being sanctioned by the West. Bigger oil buyers like China, India, and Turkey have helped Russian oil exports grow. European nations have suffered more due to restrictions as they have paid sky-high prices for gas; this has also shifted Europeans’ perceptions about the war.
After the Soviet bloc collapsed, the US took over the responsibility of the global financial system, and it was thought that wealth would trickle down from rich to poor nations. Yet today, the realities are opposite; developed nations are raising tariffs and non-tariff barriers to protect their economies from developing nations. The future belongs to AI and clean energy; the global race is about controlling natural resources for making electric vehicles and computer chips, most of which lies in African nations, which has led to major powers fighting for political influence. The Russian president is building geopolitical connections in Africa, offering the services of Russian private militia to African authoritarian leaders for regime survival.
This is a new threat to the West, which has refocused its attention on controlling African resources. Asian economies are emerging as global economies. It is their right to open doors for every country, and none should be forced to pick a side between Russia or the US. A country should not restrict its friends but focus on how to expand its relationships.
SHAFI AHMED KHOWAJA,
Hyderabad.
