2023-06-10 12:33:15
After playing John Lennon’s “Give peace a chance”, speakers at the start of the “International Summit for Peace in Ukraine” in Vienna voiced severe criticism of the USA and NATO. US economist Jeffrey Sachs explained in a recorded speech that the war in Ukraine was a disaster resulting from the indomitable arrogance of the USA and its pressure, its provocations and its rejection of diplomatic proposals.
The war might have been prevented countless times over the past 30 years. And nine years ago – following the change of power following the Kiev Maidan in 2014 – the war should not have broken out because the USA should not be concerned with the violent overthrow of other governments. “But this is a bad habit of the United States,” Sachs explained. Diplomatic offers by Russia to avoid war were last prevented by the United States in December 2021 and March 2022, the star speaker complained and made the US-operated NATO – East expansion largely responsible for the events.
“Our mainstream media is telling the wrong story, that this war started with an ‘unprovoked invasion’ by Putin on February 24, 2022,” said the prominent economist, who recently denounced the reporting of Western media when he spoke to Russia’s chief propagandist Vladimir Solovyov . Sachs also spoke via an Austrian medium on Saturday: “Der Standard” may describe the summit as a propaganda event, but would welcome a public discussion with the editor-in-chief of this newspaper at any time.
However, Sachs described a military victory over Russia as impossible: “Maybe Russia will simply defeat Ukraine on the battlefield. That’s quite possible. If not, then Russia will rely on escalation,” Sachs argued, referring to the Russian nuclear arsenal. Common sense suggests that only Ukraine’s neutrality might prevent a military confrontation between the US and Russia, and in this context a negotiated solution is still possible.
In his 24-minute presentation, however, the American avoided criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his decisions; his arguments were largely reminiscent of statements made by official representatives of Russia.
Similar to Sachs, other international participants argued at the beginning of the event organized by left-wing NGOs, most of whom initially spoke via video. Indian university professor Anuradha Chenoy emphasized that the global south is on the side of the peace movement. This region of the world wants to position itself as neutral in the dispute between the West and Russia, is interested in good relations with Russia and sees the majority of the main responsibility for the war in Ukraine in the hands of the USA and NATO, she said. “The day the West wants it, peace can come,” said the humanities scholar who specializes in Russia.
The fact that the “peace summit” did not take place on the premises of the ÖGB as originally planned was only a side issue at first. In any case, the replacement location Lorely-Saal in Vienna-Penzing, which can hold around 350 people, was occupied to the last seat on Saturday.
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