New Delhi [India], August 17 : Renowned economist and Columbia University Professor Jeffrey Sachs has said that "a neutral Ukraine" is a good buffer between Russia and the European Union and US President Donald Trump should support any such proposal.
In an interview with ANI, Jeffrey Sachs said Trump wants the United States to get out of the situation it faces in the Russia-Ukraine conflict but does not find it easy.
Asked about expectations from the Alaska Summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Ukraine conflict, Sachs said Trump should have made a speech explaining to American people "mistaken" US policy.
"Ukraine is a project of the US military industrial complex, meaning that going back to the 1990s, the idea was get Ukraine on our side. And our side means many things. It meant the expansion of Europe, institutions, but it also meant the expansion of the U.S. military, and that meant NATO enlargement... It was never going to happen. Because you look at a map, the Russian power structure would never allow Ukraine to become a member of NATO. It's ridiculous...But the United States thought that they could get away with it, and that is basic imperial arrogance... Now, it was doomed to fail. It's failing," he said.
"Trump kind of knows it's failing. He doesn't care about Ukraine. He doesn't care about any of this. So he wants to get out of it. So I think he probably really does want to get out of it. But when he says, I want to get out of it, then the whole military industrial complex, which runs the US system, says, no, you can't say that. That's appeasement. That's showing your weakness," he added.
Taking a dig at the European leaders, Sachs said that they seem to "prefer an ongoing war to a neutral Ukraine".
"I think they're crazy for thinking this. A neutral Ukraine is a good buffer between Russia and the European Union. But they don't want a buffer."
He said that Europe got "intoxicated with the idea that Europe extends where we want Europe to extend".
"If he (Trump) were really smart and clever and had an experience, he would have made a speech to the American people and he would have explained, this was a mistaken policy. We need to find a peaceful direction. NATO doesn't have to be there. Ukraine can be secure as a neutral country, indeed more secure than as a battleground of a proxy war. If he were a leader, he would do that. If he were Eisenhower or Kennedy, that's what would happen. We haven't heard a word from him like that," Sachs said.
Donald Trump said on Saturday that the meeting with Russian President "went really well". He also held a telephonic call with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, several European leaders and the Secretary General of NATO and highlighted that it was determined by all that a peace agreement is the best way going forward.
The US President wrote on Truth Social, "A great and very successful day in Alaska! The meeting with President Vladimir Putin of Russia went very well, as did a late night phone call with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine, and various European Leaders, including the highly respected Secretary General of NATO. It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up."
He also shared that Ukrainian President Zelenskyy will be coming to Washington DC on Monday and said that if things work out then a meeting would be scheduled with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"President Zelenskyy will be coming to D.C., the Oval Office, on Monday afternoon. If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin. Potentially, millions of people's lives will be saved. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"
Russia's top economic envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, said the US received Russia "very well" in Alaska and that the two countries would continue building relations despite "resistance." "The US-Russia summit in Alaska has definitely been productive," Dmitriev said, adding that there were "lots of issues that we discussed and many we agreed on," as quoted by CNN.
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