The war in Ukraine is bolstering the narrative that an inescapable ideological struggle between democracies and autocracies has taken hold. If this perception prevails, the world will inevitably split into ideological blocs, and protecting global public goods will become impossible.
MADRID – Last month’s NATO summit in Madrid was a resounding success, demonstrating the West’s enduring resolve to stand up to Russian President Vladimir Putin over his war on Ukraine. But the value of Western unity against Putin will be diminished in a world that is becoming increasingly divided, as the recent meetings of G20 finance and foreign ministers in Indonesia showed. This trend could carry incalculably high costs, because a highly polarized world cannot meet the most important task of our century: ensuring the provision of global public goods.
MADRID – Last month’s NATO summit in Madrid was a resounding success, demonstrating the West’s enduring resolve to stand up to Russian President Vladimir Putin over his war on Ukraine. But the value of Western unity against Putin will be diminished in a world that is becoming increasingly divided, as the recent meetings of G20 finance and foreign ministers in Indonesia showed. This trend could carry incalculably high costs, because a highly polarized world cannot meet the most important task of our century: ensuring the provision of global public goods.