Alexander De Croo heads the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and previously served as Belgian prime minister. On Euronews’ morning show Europe Today, he argued that defense and development aid are “two sides of the same coin.” Military spending is understandable under current circumstances, he said, but to prevent conflicts from arising in the first place, investment in development is also necessary.
The European Commission presented a budget proposal of two trillion euros for the period 2028 to 2034 last June. It allocates 131 billion euros for defense, while the “Global Europe” instrument provides 200 billion euros for international cooperation. De Croo sees neither clear winners nor losers in this draft: development policy is part of the security and economic agenda.
As an example, De Croo cited the future reconstruction of Ukraine after the end of Russia’s invasion. “The faster a country is rebuilt after a war, the better it is for everyone,” he said. UNDP provides electricity to more than 6.6 million people in Ukraine and supports veterans as well as demining programs. “War is development in reverse,” De Croo stated.
Source: de.euronews.com
