On the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, I recall the recent words of a Ukrainian colleague, Kateryna, as she described daily life in the Kharkiv region.
‘The hardest thing is not the lack of electricity or heat, but that my 10-year-old daughter’s childhood is taking place in such conditions, when everyday life has turned into a battle for survival.’
As drones and rockets rain down even now on a frozen and weary Ukraine, Europe is, rightly, increasing its own military capabilities at speed. We have entered a new and volatile geopolitical era in which we can no longer count on the assumptions of yesterday. And we have arrived at this moment ill-prepared and under-resourced.
But, as European governments rush to pour billions of euros into military spending, they’re slashing international aid budgets to help pay for it. It’s a trade-off which risks the very stability those defence investments are designed to protect.
For more than 30 years I led British soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan and I am now the CEO of the world’s largest humanitarian landmine clearance organisation, The HALO Trust.
I have seen first-hand that military might alone does not guarantee security. It can deter aggression, protect a population, and secure borders but so-called ‘soft power’ is vital too.
For the EU and other European allies, security has never rested solely on force, let alone that borne out of crisis. Credibility and influence have been amplified by sustained global engagement and the ability to influence events beyond Europe’s borders.
Consider the malign influence Russia
As the EU negotiates its next long-term budget, we must consider not simply how much Europe spends beyond its borders, but how that contributes to broader security strategy. We must strive for an integrated model which champions defence, diplomacy, and development.
Cutting back now on overseas aid at a time when global warfare is at the highest levels since the Second World War will diminish the EU’s role on the world stage and weaken our long-term security.
To invest, strategically and wisely, in foreign humanitarian aid, is to invest in a safer future.
Take HALO’s work in Syria, a country devastated by civil war. I recently stood in the ruins of Southern Damascus, almost unable to comprehend the scale of the destruction. Whole districts lay wasted by barrel bombs and artillery. The rubble is still contaminated by unexploded ordnance.
Millions of displaced Syrians cannot safely return home. HALO experts are working to clear towns and cities as well as educate returning families
Our work is humanitarian, but it has a wider impact on regional and international security too.
Unregulated weapons and ammunition proliferate in post- war Syria, fuelling a surge in arms smuggling and an escalation in extremist attacks. HALO can help to take those weapons out of circulation for good, preventing further cycles of violence.
And the work begins before the guns fall silent. In Ukraine, while the war rages on, HALO experts work to clear mines and explosives from liberated land initially taken by Russia during the first weeks of the invasion.
We are pioneering AI and digital technology to make our work safer and more efficient.
It means that, in many parts of the country, children can go to school, displaced people can return home and, crucially for Ukraine and global food markets, farmers plant and harvest their crops in safety.
I am continually struck by the bravery of HALO’s Ukrainian workers; their commitment to a secure and stable future for the country. We cannot predict what kind of world Kateryna’s daughter will grow up in. But – if we show the same courage in our decision making now – we can at the very least hope to make it a safer one.
Major General James Cowan is CEO of The HALO Trust.
