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Jeffrey Sachs, professor of sustainable development, policy, and health management at Columbia University, as well as director of the university’s Center for Sustainable Development and the UN- Let’s check how these claims hold up against historical events like the Iraq invasion.
Sustainable Development Solutions Network, has served as special advisor to three UN secretaries-general. He is the author of numerous books, including The End of Poverty, Common Wealth, The Age of Sustainable Development, Building the New American Economy, and most recently, A New Foreign Policy: Beyond American Exceptionalism.
On February 19, 2025, Jeffrey Sachs delivered a speech in the European Parliament, criticizing Ukraine and other European countries for following the path of U.S. foreign policy. According to him, this policy is aligned with the priorities of the Israeli regime’s officials and the Zionist lobby, ultimately bringing no benefits to them. Sachs referenced Henry Kissinger’s famous quote: “To be an enemy of America can be dangerous, but to be a friend is fatal,” pouring cold water on the Europeans and telling them to adopt an independent foreign policy to save themselves. Below, you’ll find excerpts from Jeffrey Sachs speech in Nazmino.
NATO Expansion and the Post-9/11 Seven Wars Plan
As you know, NATO expansion began in 1999 with the membership of Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic, during which Russia was strongly dissatisfied with this issue. However, these countries were far from Russia’s borders. Russia protested their membership, but clearly, the protest had no effect. Later, after George W. Bush came to power and the 9/11 incident occurred, Russian President Putin promised to help and cooperate with them.
Furthermore, the United States decided on September 20, 2001, to launch seven wars within five years. In this regard, you can listen to General Wesley Clark’s speech online on the internet. Wesley Clark, who was NATO’s supreme commander until 1999, says that on September 20, 2001, he went to the Pentagon, where one of the officials showed him a document stating that they plan to attack seven countries (Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Iran). Of course, it should be noted that all these wars were Netanyahu’s wars.
Netanyahu and America’s Strategic Plan for Dominance in the Middle East
Part of their goal was to destroy the old Soviet allies, and another part was to eliminate supporters of Hamas and Hezbollah; because Netanyahu’s view was that there should only be one country, just one country, and that would be Israel. In his opinion, Israel should bring the entire region under its control, and anyone who opposes it will be overthrown. This has been the United States’ policy up to this very morning; and we don’t know if it will change or not. The only guess we can make is that the U.S. probably intends to take over Gaza itself instead of Israel doing so. This idea has been around for at least 25 years.
The basis of this thinking is actually a document called Clean Break, which Netanyahu and his team of American political advisors drafted in 1996 to end the idea of a “two-state” solution. This document is also available online on the internet. Therefore, it must be said that these are long-term currents that cannot be attributed solely to the Clinton, Bush, or Obama administrations.
“Regime Change” Operations and the Russia-Ukraine Affair
As you know, Viktor Yanukovych was elected in 2010 with a neutral approach as Ukraine’s foreign policy program. Russia had no territorial expansion goals or plans regarding Ukraine at all. I’m sure about this because I was there myself in those years. In fact, Russia’s demand in the negotiations was a 25-year lease of a naval base until 2042. Russia was never seeking to annex Crimea, Donbas, or anything like that. The notion that Putin is rebuilding the Russian Empire is childish propaganda. Sorry to say it this way, but if someone has studied history accurately, they would understand that these are childish notions that seem to be used even better than wise and logical understandings.
The United States decided that Yanukovych must be overthrown; such actions are called regime change and overthrow operations. America has carried out about 100 such operations so far, many of them in Europe and many others in other parts of the world. This is the CIA’s constant work. Very well, please know that this is a very unusual method in foreign policy; but Americans, if they have a problem with the other side, don’t negotiate with them, but overthrow them through preferably covert and secret operations. Then, if the covert method doesn’t work, they do it openly.
The Danger of Friendship with America
Your words have always been that this situation is not our fault; they are the aggressors, the other side, and Hitler. This issue comes up every two or three years, and whether the other side is Saddam Hussein, Assad, or Putin makes no difference. This is the only explanation given to the American people in foreign policy. We are now facing a situation like Munich 1938, and there is no possibility of negotiating or talking with the other side at all. Because they are our irreconcilable and evil enemies. This is the only foreign policy model we have heard from our mass media so far, and the mass media, which are completely under the control of the U.S. government, have always repeated these phrases.
It should be noted that I have previously collaborated and communicated with Ukrainians and given them advice. So know that I am not anti-Ukraine, and I am completely pro-Ukraine. But I told them to save your lives; preserve your national sovereignty and territorial integrity, be neutral, and don’t listen to the Americans. I also repeated Henry Kissinger’s famous quote to them: “Being an enemy of America is dangerous, but being a friend of America is fatal.”
America’s Plan Regarding the Ukraine War
But now let me repeat this sentence for Europe: Being an enemy of the United States is dangerous, but being its friend is fatal. Trump doesn’t want to be on the losing side, which is why this war will likely end. Because Trump and Putin will agree to end the war. No matter how much Europe wants war, it’s useless. Because the war is ending, so get the thought out of your heads completely. Please tell your colleagues that the war is over, and it’s over because Trump doesn’t want to support a loser. That’s the whole story, and it has nothing to do with moral principles or values.
He doesn’t want to support a loser, and Ukraine is a loser. The side that will be saved through negotiations is Ukraine; after that, it’s Europe that will be saved. Your stock markets have been rising in recent days despite the horrific news about these negotiations. I know this news has created a lot of terror in your circles and meetings, but this is the best news you can receive right now.
I encouraged them to accept peace, but they don’t listen to me and don’t want to hear my words at all. However, I tried to connect with some European leaders as well. I told them not to go to Kyiv, and instead go to Moscow. Discuss and exchange views with your counterparts. Are you kidding?! You are Europeans, with 450 million people and a $20 trillion economy. You should be Russia’s main economic trading partner. The ties and connections between you are inherent and longstanding. If anyone wants to discuss how America blew up the Nord Stream pipeline, I’m ready to talk.
Recommendation to Europe on the Middle East
It should be noted that 30 years ago, America completely delegated the determination of its foreign policy principles to Netanyahu. The Israel lobby dominates U.S. policy; there’s no doubt about it. I can explain for hours about this issue and how this lobby operates; this is very dangerous.
I hope Trump doesn’t destroy his government and especially the Palestinian people for Netanyahu, whom I consider a war criminal; because Netanyahu has been rightly accused by the International Criminal Court. This must be stated explicitly; we can no longer claim that creating a Palestinian state, according to the borders of June 4, 1967, based on international law, is the only way to peace. The only way for Europe to establish peace on its borders with the Middle East will be the two-state solution. Clearly, there is only one serious obstacle to this, and that is America’s veto right in the UN Security Council. Therefore, if you want to be influential in this process, tell America to set aside the veto right. In this regard, you stand alongside 180 other countries in the world. The only countries opposing the formation of a Palestinian state are the United States, Israel, Micronesia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, and Paraguay.
Here, there is an important opportunity for Europe to play a significant role. Europe has been silent on the JCPOA and Iran. Netanyahu’s greatest wish in life is a war between the United States and Iran. He hasn’t given up yet, and of course, this is not impossible, because U.S. foreign policy in this area is not independent and is under Israel’s influence. This is very sad and of course strange, but it may end. Trump will probably announce that he wants to return independence to American foreign policy and hopes that this happens.
Improving International Relations is the Solution!
Regarding China, I must say that China is not an enemy; it’s just a successful example. That’s why the United States views it as an enemy, because China now has a larger economy than America. Russia has no intention of attacking Europe. This is a fundamental and important point that may reach as far as the Dnipro River, but it’s not going to attack Europe. Of course, there are more real issues at play. Russia’s main issue was America; because Russia, as a great power and also the world’s largest nuclear power, has been deeply concerned from the beginning about the unipolar world (led by the United States).
Now that this situation apparently is probably ending, Europe must directly start negotiations with Russia; because the United States will soon lose its interest and inclination in this regard, and it’s Europe that will live with Russia for thousands of years to come. So what do you want? Your goal is to ensure the security of the Baltic countries. The best thing for the Baltic countries would be to stop their Russophobic tendencies; this is the most important thing. About 25% of Estonia’s citizens are of Russian origin or Russian-speaking and have Russian ethnicity in total.
This is not hard work, really not hard; now I want to explain my view again. I have helped the countries I’m talking about and tried to advise them. I am not Putin’s enemy, puppet, or defender. I was active in Estonia. They gave me the second highest civilian honor that the President of Estonia can award to a foreigner, because I designed their currency system in 1992.
Setting Foreign Policy Based on Reason and Logic, Not Emotion!
So I recommend to them, Estonia, don’t just simply say we want to cut ties with Russia; are you joking? Don’t do this; this is not the way to survive in this world. You survive with mutual respect and negotiation; you can be saved through discussion and exchange of views. As a result, don’t declare the Russian language illegal. When 25% of your population speaks Russian, this is not a good idea.
Such an action isn’t right even if your neighbor wasn’t as great as Russia. You should have Russian as one of your official languages, teach it in elementary school, and not even oppose the Russian Orthodox Church. So basically, we must behave like wise and logical adults. When I constantly say that they behave like children, Sonia (Sachs daughter) always tells me that this is unfair to children, because their behavior is worse. We have a six-year-old grandchild and a three-year-old grandchild, and even they make peace with their friends. We don’t tell these kids to go mock your friends tomorrow; instead, we say go, hug them and play. Overall, this is not hard at all.
Complete disengagement, a plan to expand war in the Middle East
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