Nuran Erkul Kaya
Sachs, who is also president of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, spoke to AA about how Trump's victory in the US presidential election could affect the global economy, Turkey-US relations, the Middle East and relations with China.
Sachs said it is difficult to predict Trump's policies during his presidency because of their unpredictable nature and that there will be positive and negative aspects. "One of the positive effects is the possibility of ending the war in Ukraine. This war basically resulted from the US intention to incorporate Ukraine into NATO and Russia's opposition to it. This was a bad idea that the US had been pushing for 30 years and which eventually led to the war," He said.
According to Sachs, Trump wants to end this war and the main way to do that is to keep Ukraine out of NATO and stop Russia from attacking it.
But Sachs warned that Trump's Middle East policy could be worse, and continued:
"Trump has always been a strong supporter of Israel, but that's not what's needed now. Trump's biggest financial backers are Zionist extremists. What is needed now is a two-state solution. Will Trump act as a diplomat or as a Netanyahu supporter? That is the question. Netanyahu is causing genocide in Gaza and trying to drag the US into a war with Iran. Let's see if Trump's support for Israel has any limits. Maybe Trump will understand that he must end this growing war in the Middle East. Trump should side with a Palestinian state as the only peaceful solution."
"ISRAEL IS COMMITTING RECKLESS AND SERIOUS WAR CRIMES"
Sachs said that Donald Trump's relations with the Middle East will be important in this sense and that good relations with the Arab world, Turkey and the wider Islamic world will be in the interests of Trump and the US.
Sachs, who stressed that Trump should understand this, said: "Because Israel is currently reckless, completely extremist, committing serious war crimes and spreading violence. Netanyahu is out of control. Almost the whole world, except the US and Israel, says there should be a Palestinian state. Whether the US will listen is a big question mark. If they do not listen, the US will isolate itself diplomatically from the rest of the world. The Arab countries, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the BRICS, the African Union and almost all other countries are calling on the US to change course and stop vetoing full Palestinian membership of the UN."
"KNOWS TURKEY, RUSSIA AND THE MIDDLE EAST VERY WELL"
Sachs recalled Trump's words that he would "end the wars" and pointed out that Turkey could use his "mastery of diplomacy" in this regard.
Noting that there is no country in the world that understands the Black Sea, Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East region better than Turkey, Sachs said: "Turkey can be a good advisor for the US in ending the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. There is also no country in the world that conducts more intensive diplomacy than Turkey. Turkish politicians and diplomats know Russia and the Middle East very well and Turkey can help the US understand that the war in Ukraine can end. In fact, that war almost ended in the Ankara talks in March 2022."
Stressing that the war in the Middle East will only end when there is a Palestinian state, Sachs said: "Turkish diplomats can explain this to the US. Turkey can help the U.S. develop the right foreign policy. Mastering Turkish diplomacy is very important, especially now."
Sachs stressed that peace in the region is also very important for Turkey, explaining that as long as wars continue in the Black Sea and the Middle East, there is less chance of the dynamic economic growth and development Turkey wants to achieve.
"TRUMP WILL NOT BE FRIENDLY TO EUROPE"
Sachs also said that European countries and the Baltic countries neighbouring Russia should also change their policies regarding the war in Ukraine.
Noting that Europe uses the same language as the US and has been doing everything the US says for the last four years, Sachs said: "The European Union (EU) has damaged relations with China, which is a big market for Europe. It has broken relations with Russia, which is a source of cheap energy. The EU also went to war with Russia, which was a huge mistake. This obedience to the US has had very bad consequences for the European economy. Europe must now understand that it should not obey the US without question."
According to Sachs, Trump will not be too friendly to Europe during his presidency and will probably introduce new additional tariffs.
Sachs said Europe should act wisely and warned: "If Europe is wise, it will improve its relations with China and Russia and will seek peace between Ukraine and Russia. Europe must put aside the rhetoric of defeating Russia, which has always been a very naive and dangerous idea."
Sachs also said that, in his opinion, the Baltic countries neighbouring Russia are also making mistakes in their rhetoric: "The Baltic countries think the US will protect them, but they should stop being so naive. The US always has its own interests and its policies change frequently. Relying on the US for national security is a mistake."
ELON MUSK AND RELATIONS WITH CHINA
Jeffrey Sachs said that there is a difficult situation in relations with China and that Trump is very protectionist in economic terms and does not want Chinese goods to enter the US market.
Sachs noted that Trump has also said he doesn't want a war with China, adding: "I am particularly concerned about the security issues with China because I think we are heading for open conflict with China unless the US changes its policy. The real problem is Taiwan. The US is playing too many games on Taiwan. Taiwan is part of China and the US should not arm Taiwan. If the US stops this, the risk of war between the US and China will be greatly reduced."
Sachs noted that Trump's policies during his presidency also depend on the names he appoints, and said the appointment of a national security adviser and secretary of state is troubling in terms of relations with China.
Sachs also reminded the audience that Elon Musk's Tesla, Trump's biggest supporter during the campaign, has a large factory in China, and concluded his remarks as follows: "Trump is very successful in China:
"I hope Elon Musk tells Trump not to cut ties with China. If Trump follows through on his campaign promises during his presidency, there will be more global instability, but if he moderates his threats and listens to Musk, we could see a better scenario."
jeffsachs.org / gnews.cz-jav_07
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