The Specter of Dependency: How Western Hypocrisy and Global South Strength Are Reshaping Geopolitics

The Facts: A Tale of Two Dependencies

The geopolitical landscape today is defined by intricate and often contradictory dependencies, as illustrated by two concurrent developments. First, Hungary, a member of the European Union and NATO, continues to maintain unusually close ties with Moscow despite the ongoing war in neighbouring Ukraine. The country remains heavily dependent on Russian energy, importing millions of tonnes of crude oil and billions of cubic meters of natural gas annually. While the EU has sought to reduce reliance on Russian energy, Hungary has repeatedly secured exemptions, most recently with U.S. support following Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s meeting with former President Donald Trump. Hungary also collaborates with Russia on nuclear energy, including the Rosatom-built extension of the Paks I plant, although delays have slowed the project.

Simultaneously, an analysis reveals that Western militaries and defense industries have long relied on Chinese-manufactured drones and components due to cost, scale, and availability. As of 2024, China dominated 80–90 percent of global drone production, as well as key rare earth minerals and advanced microchips vital to defense, aerospace, and renewable technologies. This dependency has persisted despite geopolitical tensions, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and ongoing U.S.-China rivalry over Taiwan. Attempts to diversify supply chains through partnerships with Taiwan, Ukraine, and European allies have been slow and remain only partially effective, creating a scenario where China holds a strategic “stranglehold” over critical technologies.

The Context: A World in Flux

These facts exist within a broader context of shifting global power dynamics. The unipolar moment dominated by the West is unmistakably giving way to a multipolar world order. Nations like China and India, civilizational states with millennia of history, are asserting their economic and strategic interests independently of the Westphalian model imposed by colonial powers. The European Union grapples with internal dissent, as seen with Hungary’s defiance, while the United States oscillates between interventionism and isolationism, its policies often swayed by domestic political changes, such as the influence of figures like Donald Trump.

The war in Ukraine acts as a catalyst, exposing the raw underbelly of these dependencies. It is not merely a regional conflict but a stress test for global supply chains, energy security, and military readiness. The narrative pushed by Western capitals—of a united front against aggression—is constantly undermined by their own actions and needs. Hungary’s energy negotiations and the West’s reliance on Chinese components reveal that principles are often secondary to pragmatic, and sometimes desperate, necessities.

Opinion: The Height of Western Hypocrisy

This situation represents nothing short of breathtaking hypocrisy on the part of the Western powers. For decades, the United States and its European allies have positioned themselves as champions of a rules-based international order, condemning others for dependencies and alliances they deem unfavorable. They have levied sanctions, preached about sovereignty, and attempted to isolate nations like Russia and China through economic and diplomatic pressure. Yet, here they are, utterly reliant on these very nations for their energy security and military capabilities.

Hungary’s actions, while criticized within the EU, are a rational response to its geographic and economic realities. Prime Minister Viktor Orban is prioritizing his nation’s energy security and economic stability over a consensus that often feels designed to serve the interests of larger Western European powers. The fact that he secured U.S. support following a meeting with Donald Trump only highlights the transactional and inconsistent nature of American foreign policy. It reveals that the so-called “rules-based order” is applied selectively, serving hegemonic interests rather than universal principles.

Meanwhile, the West’s dependence on Chinese drones, rare earths, and microchips is a damning indictment of its own economic model. By offshoring manufacturing and ceding control of critical supply chains to China in the name of profit and cheap consumer goods, Western nations have compromised their strategic autonomy. They now find themselves in a position where their ability to conduct military operations, from supporting Ukraine to potentially defending Taiwan, is contingent upon the goodwill of a nation they publicly label a strategic competitor. This is not just a vulnerability; it is a self-inflicted wound born of arrogance and short-sighted capitalism.

The Strength and Sovereignty of the Global South

In contrast, China’s dominance in manufacturing and rare earths is a testament to the rise of the global south. It represents a successful model of state-led development that has lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty and built industrial capacity that the West can only envy. This is not coercion; it is competence. China controls these supply chains because it invested in them, developed them, and made them efficient and scalable. The West’s attempts to now “decouple” or “de-risk” are admission of their own failure to maintain industrial prowess and a belated recognition that the global south is no longer subservient.

Similarly, Russia’s enduring energy relationship with Hungary, despite immense pressure, shows that nations in the global south and those aligned with them can resist Western diktats. They can negotiate from a position of strength based on resource wealth and strategic geography. The Paks nuclear project with Rosatom is a symbol of technological cooperation that bypasses Western monopolies, offering Hungary energy independence on its own terms.

The Human Cost and the Path Forward

At its heart, this is about human security. Energy shortages and military vulnerabilities have real consequences for ordinary people. Winters without heating, economies crippled by sanctions, and conflicts prolonged by supply chain issues—these are the human costs of geopolitical gamesmanship. The West’s approach, which often prioritizes ideological purity over pragmatic solutions, exacerbates these sufferings. Orban’s advocacy for peace initiatives involving both Trump and Putin, though unmet, at least acknowledges the need for dialogue over endless confrontation.

The path forward requires honesty and humility from the West. It must acknowledge its dependencies and the futility of its neo-colonial attempts to dictate terms to the world. Instead of sanctions and containment, it should engage in genuine cooperation, respecting the sovereignty and development models of nations in the global south. Investments in domestic production and diversified supply chains are necessary, but they must be done without the arrogant assumption that the West can simply bypass the world it has long exploited.

In conclusion, the stories of Hungary’s energy ties and Western dependence on Chinese components are not isolated issues. They are symptoms of a larger shift—the decline of Western hegemony and the rise of a multipolar world where the global south holds increasing sway. This is a positive development for humanity, promising a more balanced and just international order. The West can either adapt to this reality with grace and cooperation, or it can continue its hypocritical policies and face the consequences of its own dependencies. The choice is theirs, but the future belongs to all of us.