Prof. Jeffrey Sachs : Is the Ukraine War Over?

Overview

Professor Jeffrey Sachs, appearing on Judge Andrew Napolitano’s show “Judging Freedom,” argues that multiple U.S.-led conflicts—especially in the Middle East and Ukraine—are effectively “managed” rather than resolved. He contends that U.S. objectives are driven by geopolitical primacy and domestic political reluctance to admit failure.

1) Iran–U.S. conflict: escalating “pinprick” attacks without a strategy

Sachs argues that U.S. strikes on Iranian facilities are “useless” and “costly,” and that Washington refuses to fully complete or honor a framework agreement reached with Iran because doing so would require acknowledging the broader U.S. effort as a “debacle.”

He describes an endless escalation loop:

• Iran threatens control of shipping
• Attacks occur
• The U.S. retaliates
• Iran escalates
• Oil prices rise (he cites an approximately 3% increase tied to the recent escalation)

Core conclusion: The U.S. should “go home.” Without any willingness to do so, Sachs says the situation remains paralyzed and harmful to the world economy.

2) “Sanctions won’t work”: non-dollar payments and alternative systems are accelerating

On the effectiveness of sanctions (referred to in the segment as “Bessant Dday” sanctions), Sachs argues they accomplish little because Iran-related trade can be routed through channels that are not reachable by the U.S.

He emphasizes several developments:

• The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS are expanding and/or meeting soon (SCO: Kyrgyzstan; BRICS: India).
• These groupings include major economies (e.g., China, Russia, India, Iran) whose combined output exceeds the G7.
• China is a major buyer of Iranian oil, and Sachs argues China and other partners will not comply with U.S. demands.

Sachs also argues sanctions indirectly accelerate the shift away from the dollar:

• The world is moving toward non-dollar settlement mechanisms.
• U.S. threats to cut countries off from SWIFT are framed as outdated because payment and trade can occur through other currencies and settlement routes.

Bottom line: He claims U.S. sanction power weakens as it is used, rather than strengthening.

3) Critique of Netanyahu and U.S./Israeli policy: end-game failure and allegations of genocide

Sachs (and additional segment commentary) portrays U.S.-Israeli strategy as reaching an end-state:

• The U.S. allegedly sought dominance and pressure on adversaries (including around Ukraine and borders near Russia).
• Israel allegedly sought regional hegemony backed by the U.S.

Sachs criticizes Benjamin Netanyahu as a major driver of U.S. and allied disasters—citing roles in the Iraq War and the current Iran conflict—arguing that Netanyahu’s approach ultimately harms Israel by turning the world against it.

The segment also discusses political messaging and ads showing brutal treatment of Palestinians. The commentary frames this as evidence of genocidal intent and urges U.S. politicians to stop enabling it.

Prescription and claims within the segment:

• American voters should support candidates who oppose funding what Sachs calls the “Israeli murder machine” and oppose escalation in Ukraine, arguing both conflicts are sustained for U.S. “primacy,” not legitimate objectives.
• Sachs disputes claims that opposition to Israeli actions is antisemitic, arguing instead that such opposition reflects opposition to mass murder and aligns with Jewish values of peace and decency.

4) Ukraine: inevitable collapse trajectory and the “promise broken” NATO narrative

Sachs argues Ukraine is in an accelerating collapse, describing the conflict as increasingly certain in its trajectory, with “only” the duration remaining uncertain.

He traces the war to decisions he attributes to the U.S. and Germany dating back to the 1990s, including:

• An allegation that NATO expansion violated binding commitments made to the Soviet Union/Russia that NATO would not move toward Russia’s borders.
• He claims Ukraine was reportedly not seeking NATO membership:
  • President Viktor Yanukovych opposed it.
  • Sachs alleges the U.S. helped overthrow his government and pulled Ukraine into catastrophe.

He argues Ukraine is being crushed militarily and economically:

• Russia’s retaliation is portrayed as an inevitable outcome long predicted.
• He expects economic breakdown to worsen during winter.

He also criticizes U.S. political support, including arguments that Europeans/Americans can fight “without American deaths,” calling this a destructive false logic.

5) Proposed remedy: new Eurasian security architecture (and a diplomatic reset)

Sachs says he is preparing to travel to Moscow and wants Russia to propose clear ideas for a “new Eurasian security architecture” to establish peace.

He argues that, given U.S. failures in Ukraine and Iran, major powers (e.g., Russia, China, India, and possibly BRICS) should articulate how major powers can avoid provoking each other and respect “red lines.”

He references Zbigniew Brzezinski’s concept of “geopolitical pivots” (Ukraine and Iran) used as pressure points against foes, calling the approach cynical and warning that treating real countries as pieces in strategy leads to greater disaster rather than stability.

Presenters / contributors

• Judge Andrew Napolitano (host)
• Professor Jeffrey Sachs (main guest)

Mentioned / planned figures in the segment

• Donald Trump
• Jake Sullivan (Biden’s national security adviser)
• Benjamin Netanyahu (clip shown)
• Idomar Ben-Gvir
• Congressman Randy Fine
• Max Blumenthal
• Senator Richard Blumenthal
• Professor John Mearsheimer (mentioned/planned discussion)
• Larry Johnson (mentioned/planned discussion)
• Alistair Crooke and his wife (mentioned/planned discussion)
• Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (mentioned/planned meeting)
• Zbigniew Brzezinski (referenced)