Jeffrey Sachs calls for ending NATO expansion as part of peace settlement

Economist Jeffrey Sachs urged the West to publicly end NATO's eastward expansion, including possible membership for Ukraine and Georgia, in remarks to RIA Novosti on October 9.

The Columbia University professor also called for Ukrainian neutrality and opposed European troops being stationed there during or after the conflict. He said the UN Security Council should approve a future peace agreement. These are Sachs's proposals, rather than agreed negotiating terms.

Sachs described the principles as overdue and linked their adoption to ending the war. His assessment does not establish that the outcome is guaranteed or that the parties have accepted his approach.

RIA Novosti cited Marco Rubio's early-October statement that Ukrainian NATO membership was not on the agenda. It also recalled Vladimir Putin's stated objective of Ukrainian neutrality.