Why does the Ukrainian-Russian conflict seem so confusing in U.S. media?

The American public is only given half the story. In this article, we’ll break down the bigger picture with insights from economist Jeffrey Sachs, whose bipartisan research sheds light on the deeper geopolitical forces at play.

A Global View on NATO and Its Purpose

As a product of the Cold War, NATO should have been disbanded, yet over the years, it has functioned as a war machine facilitating U.S. hegemony. Placing NATO on Ukraine's border with Russia is akin to a hypothetical scenario where China establishes a military base on the U.S.-Canada border—an act that would undoubtedly be seen as a provocation.

Both Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. tend to present only part of the story, failing to acknowledge the full implications of NATO’s expansion. The Global Times consulted experts and scholars to reveal how the U.S. exploits NATO to serve its geopolitical interests, how NATO destabilizes global security, exacerbates nuclear threats, and extends confrontation into Asia.

In an in-depth interview, Global Times reporter Ma Ruiqian spoke with Jeffrey Sachs, a world-renowned American economist. Sachs elaborated on NATO’s role as a root cause of global turmoil and discussed how the U.S. and Europe have contributed to ongoing instability. Additionally, he outlined his vision for constructing a global security framework that prioritizes peace over military expansion.

Thought of the Day:

Some argue that as a by-product of the Cold War, NATO should have been disbanded, and its continued existence is a source of global disruption. What do you think?

The Origins of NATO and Its Expansion

Sachs: NATO was created in 1949 to defend Western Europe against a potential Soviet invasion. The transatlantic military alliance was structured to ensure that U.S. military power and direction would predominate, coordinating the militaries of Western Europe against the Soviet Union. NATO began with 12 member states.

One major objective of NATO was to remilitarize Germany under U.S. control to prevent another German-led war. The first Secretary-General of NATO, Lord Hastings Lionel Ismay, famously described NATO’s purpose as “to keep the Soviet Union out, the U.S. in, and the Germans down” in Western Europe.

A Historic Gesture of Peace

In 1988, Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev declared an end to the Cold War, advocating for security in Europe to be based on a Common European Home. This was a historic gesture that could have led to long-term peace between Europe, the U.S., and the Soviet Union, including Russia.

In 1990, as German Chancellor Helmut Kohl called for German reunification, both Germany and the U.S. explicitly promised Gorbachev that NATO would not expand eastward even by an inch. In return, Gorbachev ended the Warsaw Pact military alliance. Peace was truly at hand.

The United States: The “Bully on the Playground”?

The U.S., however, misinterpreted this new peace as a unilateral victory rather than a cooperative resolution. When the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, with Russia emerging as its successor among 15 independent nations, the U.S. broke its promise and began NATO’s eastward expansion. Today, NATO has 32 member states.

American policymakers embraced the notion of U.S. unipolarity, believing the country had become the world’s sole superpower. This mindset led to an era of arrogance in U.S. foreign policy, resulting in numerous costly wars.

During the 1990s, the U.S. focused on expanding NATO to partially or entirely encircle Russia, thereby weakening it militarily and geopolitically. NATO’s expansion into Ukraine and Georgia sought to contain Russia’s naval fleet in the Black Sea—a strategy reminiscent of Britain’s tactics in the 1853 Crimean War. This strategy is a fundamental cause of the current Ukraine conflict.

Since the U.S. is not a defensive power but an offensive one, NATO has followed suit. Examples include NATO’s military actions in Serbia-Kosovo, the occupation of Afghanistan, the bombing of Libya, and the arming of Ukraine in what has become a U.S.-Russia proxy war.

In short, NATO should have been disbanded in 1990. Had it been replaced with the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe), which includes countries from Western and Eastern Europe as well as the former Soviet Union, history might have been more peaceful and cooperative, with fewer unnecessary wars.

The February 28th Meeting: How Trump and Vance Manipulated Zelenskyy

The recent meeting between Donald Trump, J.D. Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy left the American public even more confused about Ukraine’s true situation. Instead of providing clarity, the rhetoric used in the meeting reflected classic manipulation tactics—gaslighting, coercion, and control—designed to pressure Ukraine into accepting a peace that serves U.S. and Russian interests rather than Ukraine’s own survival.

Here’s how psychological manipulation played out:

1️⃣ Victim-Blaming: Trump’s remark—“You have allowed yourself to be in a very bad position”—mirrors classic abuser rhetoric, shifting responsibility for Ukraine’s suffering onto its leadership.

2️⃣ Coerced Gratitude: Vance pressuring Zelenskyy to say “thank you” reinforces a toxic dynamic in which aid is framed as a favor rather than a strategic alliance.

3️⃣ Peace vs. Capitulation: Trump’s claim that Zelenskyy is “not ready for peace” subtly redefines peace as surrender, disregarding Ukraine’s right to self-defense.

4️⃣ Undermining Power: Declaring that Zelenskyy has “no cards to play” diminishes Ukraine’s agency while reinforcing reliance on U.S. support.

5️⃣ Distorting Reality: Trump’s assertion that Zelenskyy is “playing with the lives of millions” shifts accountability away from Russia, despite its role as the aggressor.

🔎 Bottom Line: Rather than pressuring Zelenskyy with manipulative rhetoric, Trump and Vance could have exposed the flawed deal Ukraine made with Biden and NATO in front of the American public and media. A transparent discussion of how Ukraine was misled into war—losing countless lives in the process—would have been far more constructive.

Final Thoughts

The American public remains trapped in a media cycle that presents only half the story. NATO's unchecked expansion and U.S. foreign policy arrogance have fueled unnecessary wars. The conflict in Ukraine is yet another example of this cycle repeating. Instead of offering real solutions, politicians on both sides manipulate the narrative to serve their own interests, often at the expense of global stability.

The question remains: How long will we allow history to repeat itself?

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