Against a backdrop of unprecedented turmoil – the first major war in Europe in three decades, the highest inflation rates in decades and a rapidly worsening global food crisis – western leaders have met for two major summits. The G7 met in Germany and Nato leaders gathered in Madrid. The outcomes of both events indicate the limits of western-dominated global governance and deepening polarisation.
Both summits were dominated by the war in Ukraine, and both pledged continued support for Ukraine “ for as long as it takes ”. But the direct effects of such declarations are at...