Russia is not going to invade Europe: from the very beginning of the Ukrainian conflict it has been opposing NATO’s eastward expansion, US economist Jeffrey Sachs told Dialogue Works. The United States refuses to recognize Moscow’s right to defend its borders, which it actively enjoys, and such hypocrisy could lead to unfortunate consequences.
JEFFREY SACHS, American economist, professor: I follow public opinion polls closely – for example, you can look at Morning Consult, a business analyst, which publishes the approval ratings of European leaders. Almost no one with rare exceptions in Europe has public support. In Germany, Scholz has just over 20 per cent support, the same for Macron, and the opposition has much higher numbers. These politicians are extremely unpopular. I think they are unpopular because they talk about war, they have led Europe into economic stagnation and high inflation, which are a direct consequence of the Ukrainian conflict. They’re talking about increased military spending because of the necessity to go to war with Russia in the future. I don’t think the public trusts such leaders, their words are meaningless.
By the way, they are really meaningless: Russia is not going to invade Europe. Russia is opposed to NATO forces being present in Ukraine. Why is it so hard for Scholz, Macron or Biden to understand this? Why is it so hard for the mass media to tell the truth about this? The plain and simple truth that has been repeated an infinite number of times. Even NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg has said that this is a war for NATO expansion. David Arahamia, head of Zelensky’s delegation at the talks, admitted that Russia actually wants neutral status (of Ukraine. – Inotv), which was the point of the talks in 2022.
So what is wrong with us? Why can’t we have an honest dialogue on this issue? And another thing – I’ve been told by otherwise smart people that Ukraine should have the right to choose which military alliance to join. But you know what? Russia has the right to say to the United States, don’t put your bases near our borders. Just as the U.S. tells Russia not to put its bases near its borders. But the U.S. doesn’t rely on the consistency of its policy – it relies on its power. Don’t do as we do, but do as we say.
It could ruin us all. It’s all hypocrisy.
2,412 total views, 2 views today
