Economist and Columbia University professor Jeffrey Sachs said that a potential agreement between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump could bring relief to Serbia, giving the country an opportunity to “breathe”.
In an interview with Sputnik, Sachs expressed hope for a swift agreement between Putin and Trump, despite resistance in the United States and Europe.
He stressed that in such a scenario, Serbia would no longer face problems, as the United States would resume business relations with Russia.
“I hope that Trump will find a solution with Putin, although he faces resistance both in the US and in Europe. This could happen very quickly, and then Serbia will no longer have problems, because the US will do business with Russia. I would simply suggest waiting for this outcome, because it is an opportunity, and here Trump is right, even though he has surrounded himself with the wrong people,” Sachs said in Belgrade.
Cooperation with neighboring countries and Serbia’s strategy
Sachs emphasized that Serbia should strengthen cooperation with countries such as Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, which are seeking cooperation with Russia. “Serbia is not alone,” he underlined.
Asked about a possible reset of Serbia–US relations, Sachs expressed the view that Serbia does not hold major strategic interest for Washington, despite the presence of American companies in the country. “You can try to redefine relations, but I do not have an easy answer for Serbia, because it has difficult neighbors and European leadership is so poor that there are simply no easy solutions. Try, but do not cut ties with Russia, China and India,” he added, describing sanctions against Russia as “futile”.
The crisis in Ukraine and Sachs’s historical experience
Sachs also analyzed the causes of the crisis in Ukraine, arguing that the conflict began in 2014 with the change of government in Kyiv.
He noted that the Minsk agreements offered a political solution through autonomy for eastern regions of Ukraine, but were never implemented.
Referring to his personal experience, Sachs said he had worked with leaders of the Soviet Union and Russia in the early 1990s, including Mikhail Gorbachev.
He stressed that at that time there was a real opportunity for lasting peace in Europe, but it was lost because, in his view, the United States sought global dominance rather than peace. He also cited statements by Western officials in the early 1990s promising that NATO would not expand eastward.
The discussion took place in Belgrade, with the participation of representatives of Serbia’s political and diplomatic life, including Patriarch Porfirije, the ambassadors of Russia and China, and members of the academic community.
Jeffrey Sachs has served as an economic adviser to numerous governments worldwide and, in the 1990s, was an adviser to the then Prime Minister of Yugoslavia, Ante Marković.
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