Pakistan, Oct. 16 -- The world is running out of money for peace, but somehow it keeps finding money for war. Governments struggling to finance healthcare, pensions, infrastructure and public debt are announcing new military commitments. Countries that spent decades promoting free trade now subsidise domestic industries and treat dependence on foreign suppliers as a strategic vulnerability.

Each decision has its own justification. Together, they reveal a contradiction few governments will confront: the world is attempting to purchase security at a price its economies may not be able to sustain.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, global military expenditure reached $2.89 trillion in 2025, rising for the el...