Greg Mills: "In armed conflict, there are dangers in externalizing responsibility and relying too heavily on the victimization narrative."

What is the best way to prevent and resolve future conflicts? The X of the Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) of the University of Navarra, given position Greg Mills, an expert in Economics and development in Africa, sought to understand the causes and possible solutions to the most important contemporary conflicts in the light of his years of experience. In the lecture, entitled "To do or not to do? Lessons from Foreign Intervention from Afghanistan to Ukraine," he provided a thorough analysis of the challenges foreign powers face in seeking peace in war zones and how to address the mission statement of establishing stable governance Structures in these countries. Mills, who served as advisor to the British Army's military commander in Afghanistan, shared his experiences from the numerous missions he undertook in Africa and the most important lessons applicable to contemporary conflicts such as the Ukrainian conflict.

Since the fall of Kabul (Afghanistan) and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the liberal international order led by the United States is giving way to a more chaotic and contested world system. Along these lines, Mills explained that "the credibility of the West is diminishing in the face of wars in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and the rise of populism around the world." Can peace and democracy exist or are we heading towards a new scenario where authoritarian regimes thrive? When analyzing the war in Ukraine, the South African expert stated: "Governments representing approximately 60% of the world's population - including India, South Africa and much of the Middle East - do not accept the Ukrainian/Western narrative out of self-interest and the perception of a double standard on the part of the West". In this regard, he remarked that this is an idea that Russia actively promotes through social networks and consists of pointing to NATO as the aggressor and Russia as the victim of the conflict.

Following this thread, public opinion is key to fighting the war from within and without: "A proper narrative can make a difference. Russia initially lost the battle of public opinion because its lack of truthfulness in various claims such as the 'denazification' of Ukraine was exposed," the expert pointed out. However, he believes that Ukraine has also made mistakes, as "the role of victim only works to a certain extent".

The narrative of the conflict varies from region to region, but Mills argued that part of the West failed to perceive Putin as an aggressor. Contrary to Ronald Reagan's 'see what you see', his image remains intact for many sectors, which should increase the West's engagement. The expert recalled Zelenski's words: "This is not a war between two armies. It is a war between two worldviews".

To approach the issue, Mills shared what he calls "the theory of victory," which is a core topic for building and carrying out firm strategies: "Ukraine's accession to the EU is not enough (and will not be immediate anyway). It has to build a credible vision and strategy that will convince foreign and local actors. There are dangers in externalizing responsibilities."

The X Lecture culminated with the musical production Altogheter led by Greg Mills to unite Ukraine and Africa, a song with a sense of solidarity to support the people who suffered most from the war. As the speaker advocated, "resistance is the greatest warrior of all, for both internal and external actors."