Jeffrey Sachs urges Friedrich Merz to learn history in open letter on Ukraine

World-renowned US economist Jeffrey Sachs, in an open letter published in the Berliner Zeitung daily, evaluated the foreign policy rhetoric of Friedrich Merz and the progression of the war in Ukraine.

Sachs reminded in his letter that European security is an indivisible whole and stated that Germany must fulfill its historical responsibilities.

Addressing Merz, Sachs used the following expressions:

“You have repeatedly mentioned that Germany is responsible for European security. This responsibility cannot be replaced by slogans, selective memory, or the normalization of war rhetoric. Security guarantees are not one-way streets. They work in both directions. This is neither Russia’s nor America’s argument; it is a fundamental principle of European security clearly stated in the Helsinki Final Act.”

Emphasizing that Germany has ignored Russia’s security concerns since 1990, Sachs stated that NATO’s eastward expansion was a violation of historical promises. Sachs recalled that assurances given to the Soviet leadership that “NATO will not expand” were a fundamental condition for the reunification of Germany.

The US professor pointed out past strategic mistakes in his letter, noting:

“In 1990, Russia’s fundamental security concerns were repeatedly ignored, trivialized, or directly violated; this often occurred with Germany’s active participation. The persistent pressure for NATO expansion to include Ukraine and Georgia at the 2008 Bucharest summit crossed Moscow’s clear red lines.”

Emphasis on neutrality and diplomacy in Ukraine

The report stated that Sachs emphasized that a neutral status for Ukraine is mandatory for a solution. Citing the examples of Finland and Austria, the economist stated that neutrality has been successfully implemented in the past as a tool ensuring the security of all parties.

Sachs continued his criticism of Merz with these words:

“Enough propaganda! Enough of treating the public as if they were children! Europeans can perfectly well understand that security dilemmas are real, that NATO actions have consequences, and that peace cannot be achieved by pretending Russia’s security concerns do not exist. Diplomacy is not appeasement, and historical honesty is not betrayal.”

Call for strategic maturity for Germany

Sachs stated that the Ostpolitik (Eastern Policy) approach once implemented by Germany was not a sign of weakness but of strategic maturity. Stating that a similar maturity is needed today, Sachs wrote that a security architecture that includes rather than excludes Russia is in Europe’s interest.

At the end of the letter, Sachs made a sharp call to Merz, stating: “Learn some history, Mr. Chancellor! And be honest about it! Without honesty, there is no trust. Without trust, there is no security. And without diplomacy, Europe risks repeating the disasters it supposedly learned lessons from.”

Sachs also argued that sanctions do not bring peace and have caused serious damage to the European economy, especially to German industry.

Describing the freezing of Russia’s assets in the West as a violation of international law, Sachs emphasized the need to return to economic realism.