World War Aid offers a novel perspective on the unprecedented aid in the Ukrainian conflict, destined to leave an international "echo" reaching far beyond the individual historical case and the aid sector alone.
This book clarifies the evolving scenario of a conflict that, before tanks, had long been fought on the territory of aid. The author makes arguments about aid which can be traced back to three sets of issues: 1) Ukraine’s history from its independence in 1991 until the war in 2022, that witnessed the evolution of inter-state aid sent to Kyiv. This period anticipated the geo-political dispute over the country's future, and was marked by confrontation between donors who would later become the protagonists of the war scenario. 2) The exceptionality of the Ukrainian case is discussed by specifically identifying eight peculiarities of wartime aid: the response speed of Western Bilateral Donors; the leading role and primacy of the latter over the non-governmental sector; the key influence exercised by the Ukrainian recipient; the quantity and diversification of aid involved; Russia’s conversion of aid into hybrid weapons (Weaponization of Aid); the West’s provision of weapons as primary aid (Aidization of Weapons); the excessive anticipation of post-war planning initiatives; and sanctions modeled to represent a new form of aid. 3) Based on these peculiarities, a new model of Interventionist Aid is defined, characterized by a willingness to take an active part in the crisis in which the Donors operate, in order to condition its course and outcome. By preferring tactical purposes to humanitarian ones, and prioritizing military and financial interventions, Interventionist Aid represents an absolute conceptual, political and historical novelty in inter-state aid.
A highly original take on a key event of the 21st century, World War Aid is an invaluable text for political scientists, analysts and historians of international relations, as well as diplomats and practitioners of foreign policy and foreign aid.
Foreword
Romano Prodi
1. Interventionist Aid
True Aid Revolution
Key Conclusions and Findings of this Book
Ex-Ante Disclaimer: The Sense of this Book
2. Aid Connecting Virus and War
Aid, a Mainstream Word
International Aid Public Policies to Compare Pandemic and War
Framing Aid in the Ukrainian War
3. Ukrainian War Symptoms in Aid History
Aid to Ukraine (1991–2022)
1991–2004 Aid without Reform
2005–2010 The Pro-European Ambition
2010–2014 Aid War
2014–2022 The Atlanticist Strategy
4. From Neutralist Aid to Interventionist Aid
Ukraine 2022 vs Bosnia and Herzegovina 1992
Bosnia and Herzegovina 1992: A Perfect Storm
Neutralist Aid
Ukraine 2022: A Big Game Scenario
International Relevance
Incidence of Exogenous Factors
Consolidated Ukrainian Statehood
Classic Military Warfare
Unprecedented Aid in the War in Ukraine
Donor– Recipient Peculiarities
Aid Peculiarities
Peculiarities in the Strategic Approach Adopted
Neutralist Aid vs Interventionist Aid
5. Peculiarities of Interventionist Aid
The First Peculiarity: Response Speed of Western Bilateral Donors
The Second Peculiarity: Leading Role and Primacy of Western Bilateral Donors
The Third Peculiarity: The Recipient-Partner
The Fourth Peculiarity: Quantity and Diversification of Aid
The Fifth Peculiarity: Aid Turned into Hybrid Weapons (Weaponization of Aid)
The Sixth Peculiarity: Weapons as Primary Aid (Aidization of Weapons)
The Seventh Peculiarity: Premature Opening of the Post-conflict Phase
The Eighth Peculiarity: Sanctions as Aid (Aidization of Sanctions)
6. Interventionist Aid vs Pandemic Aid
Scenario: Aid as a Central Driver of International Relations
Actors: Rise of the Bilateral Donor
Aid: Weapons and Vaccines to Change the Course of Events
7. The Interventionist Aid Revolution: Political, Conceptual, Historical
The Political Dimension: New Interventionist Aid
The Conceptual Dimension: Anarchical Aid as a Key Component of War
The Historical Dimension: The New “Interventionist Aid Phase”
Postscript: The (Possible) Future of Interventionist Aid
Interventionist Aid World Order
Post-Democracy Aid
World War Aid
Biography
Igor Pellicciari is a full professor of History of International Institutions and Relations at the University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Italy. A senior EU expert on aid to transition countries, he is also a diplomat of the Republic of San Marino, currently Ambassador to the Kingdom of Jordan. He consulted on the Sputnik V vaccine deal that made San Marino the first covid-free state in the world. He is author of Re-Framing Foreign Aid History and Politics (Routledge, 2022).
