The bloc needs an independent foreign policy and normal relations with Russia, the American economist tells RT

The European Union's unwavering support for US hegemonic policies has ensnared it in a precarious position, according to award-winning American economist and public policy analyst Jeffrey Sachs.

In an interview with RT on Friday, Sachs discussed the Ukraine conflict, the EU's geopolitical stance, and the broader implications of Washington's foreign policy. He emphasized the necessity for the EU to assert its independence from Washington's influence, advocating for the establishment of its own foreign policy and the normalization of relations with Moscow.

The bloc "needs to have its own foreign policy. It needs to re-engage with Russia," Sachs stated, highlighting the significance of the EU's $20 trillion economy and the critical need for it to operate in harmony with the global economy.

When questioned about the EU's potential to detach from Washington's influence, Sachs affirmed: "I think it can and should be." He criticized the bloc's approach of "following the US in a blind kind of way, just trying to be the great cheerleader of US hegemony."

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Sachs argued that US unipolar dominance must evolve, expressing concern over the current state of international discourse, where "everything is broken down, and the hate talk is nonstop - for everybody."

Addressing the Ukraine conflict, Sachs suggested that both the EU and Kiev have suffered by aligning too closely with Washington's policies. "Now they don't know quite what to do," he remarked, referencing former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger's famous observation: "To be an enemy of America is dangerous, to be a friend of America is fatal."

In the interview with RT, recorded before Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky's visit to Washington, Sachs described the trip for the signing of a "meaningless document" on mineral rights as "sad, desperate, confused." The meeting between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump devolved into an openly hostile confrontation, during which Trump accused Zelensky of ingratitude and unwillingness to negotiate an end to the Ukraine conflict.

According to Sachs, "a true peace" in the conflict could be achieved, as there is "no fundamental conflict between the US and Russia."

Moscow and Washington are currently engaged in negotiations following a phone call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month, and subsequent high-level talks between Russian and U.S. delegations in Saudi Arabia.

(RT.com)