Let me start with a basic fact. Western support for Ukraine’s self-defence is both legal and moral. Any support for Russia’s act of aggression, whether by Iran, DPRK or anyone else, is neither.
Russia calls these meetings to talk up the scale and costs of Western support for Ukraine, to try to undermine public support, and to claim the West is the aggressor. But their concerns should really be closer to home.
It is clear where President Putin’s priorities lie: defence and national security will consume over 40% of Russia’s entire federal spending next year – a post-Soviet record high, exceeding expenditure on healthcare, education, and the environment combined.
Let me repeat that: the Russian government is spending more on killing Ukrainians and trying to steal their land than it is on the health and education of its own people, and the environmental protection of its own territory, all put together.
It is reckless and it is self-harming.
It has fueled inflation, forced interest rates up to a 20-year high, and increased dramatically the cost of government, corporate and household borrowing.
As a consequence, Russia has become poorer than all G7 and EU countries on a per capita basis, including Eastern bloc states.
The more Russian capital is funneled into defence spending, the weaker the finances of the Russian economy, which will directly harm the livelihoods and futures of Russia’s own people.
The costs of Russia’s aggression go further. Not only is the Russian government finding it harder to recruit Russians to sacrifice their lives for its illegal war, they are also haemorrhaging human capital at home.
Russian citizens are leaving Russia at a rapid rate, especially high-skilled workers. 668,000 people left Russia in 2022, causing severe labour shortages. That’s in addition to the over 600,000 casualties on the battlefield in Ukraine. It’s no surprise that Russian economists have predicted these labour shortages are set to continue.
So Russia’s out-of-control defence spending is not only wholly unjustified; it is not only a recipe for misery and suffering in Ukraine; it is not only driving global instability– it is also hugely damaging to Russia itself.
We urge Russia to take a different path, and to bring to an end its illegal, unprovoked and self-harming invasion.
Until then, we will continue to provide Ukraine with the support it requires to defend itself and to secure a just and lasting peace in line with the UN Charter.
