Why need to spend more on peace, not defence

Back in February 2025 I wrote about plans for a 27 giant dish radar network on St David’s peninsula at Cawdor Barracks. Just to remind you about this massive development, the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) is part of a US programme called Space Domain Awareness. The plan is to have DARCs in Australia, the US and the UK, which will allow the Military to spot football sized objects in space 22000 miles away, a capability that can destroy enemies’ satellites and missiles.

DARC has attracted huge opposition from local residents who set up PARC against DARC. They celebrated in July when the new Welsh Government called in the proposals, meaning Pembrokeshire County Council doesn’t get to decide on the plans. Local MP for Mid and South Pembrokeshire, Labour’s Henry Tufnell, is not best pleased. He argues that, “This is a clear move from Plaid Cymru to weaken the UK’s security and alliances, and in doing so, will harm local jobs, economic development, and our county’s proud culture in defence.”

One worry local residents have is that DARC could become a Russian target. They’re not alone in this concern. Residents and campaigners met in Aberporth as they consider West Wales Airport and its drone testing capacity to be a target too. This week Russia threatened the UK by warning that British direct support for Ukraine is like ‘playing with fire’. You can find a map online with potential targets in Europe and the UK. There’s an RAF station on Anglesey on it but not Aberporth or Pembrokeshire. President Putin of course wants us to worry.

The UK has been asked to increase its defence spending to 3.5 per cent which it is purported to do by 2035. This is in essence to help Ukraine defend itself and to stop Russia from any further aggression. This week the Chancellor John Healey decided to increase financial sanctions. He said, "The UK and our allies must step up our international cooperation to expose sanctions evasion, and disrupt the financial networks fuelling Russia's aggression." ​These sanctions target assets, cryptocurrency platforms, banks and industrial companies. I’d like to know why our Government didn’t make the sanctions harder from day one of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

As ordinary citizens we can feel disempowered. Last year more than 1,000 of us marched through Aberystwyth demanding justice for Palestinian people, but the awful killing there goes on unabated. The Foreign Secretary, Ed Miliband, has just announced sanctions on goods from the West Bank in order to put pressure on Israel to stop the aggressive expansion by settlers. These sanctions undoubtedly don’t go far enough.

Many of us are old enough to remember the end of Apartheid, largely thanks to an all-out cultural boycott of South Africa. Yet it was the Truth and Reconciliation Commission established afterwards that offered peace, through “forgiveness over prosecution, and reparation over retaliation.” And we remember the end of the Cold War through pressure on both the Soviet Union and the US. Some Greenham Women in 1983 even went to Russia and “challenged the 'official' peace groups who wanted to co-opt them as part of their propaganda campaign.” Russia is by most western nations regarded as a country to ostracize. Eurovision won’t let Russia participate. Yet Israel’s still competing hence some countries are boycotting Eurovision.

It’s hard not to separate a country’s leaders from its citizens. During the Second World War most people from Allied countries hated the Germans and the Japanese, citizens included. It’s good that afterwards bridges were built and friendships created for instance through town twinning. Reading Julie’s excellent article on her visits to Kronberg was heart-warming. This kind of soft power is exactly what’s needed to heal wounds.

At the National Eisteddfod a group of peace activists formed a white line for peace. Their leaflet says, “Real security does not come from weapons. It comes from strong communities, international cooperation, climate justice, human rights and the peaceful resolution of conflict.” I agree but wonder if the current situation of hate, distrust and fear in Ukraine-Russia, Palestine-Israel and also Iran-US is conducive to ending these conflicts and open to reconciliation?

I would prefer spending 3.5 per cent on war prevention instead of on awful armoury, feel conflicted, a pacifist by nature, but I recognise that Ukraine needs more weapons. Stronger sanctions hopefully have some impact. It’s harder to help the Palestinians; Israel’s regarded as a friendly state by our Government. This centuries old conflict mustn’t make us hate Jewish people though. Hate fosters hate.

As for Donald Trump, another supposed ally, let’s convince him that peace won’t happen through provocation. I urge the Plaid Cymru Government to reject the DARC plans. It’ll send a signal to Trump that in Wales we don’t wish to be part of creating control over space, thereby amplifying the already fraught situation between the West and Russia.