In an op-ed titled "The War in Ukraine Was Provoked," Jeffrey Sachs argues that the United States is responsible for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. However, this claim is morally and factually incorrect. While Sachs is not alone in holding this view, it is essential to debunk it. The idea that the US provoked Russia through NATO expansion is based on a myth that the US promised Soviet President Gorbachev a permanent buffer zone in 1990, which is not supported by historical evidence. Eastern European countries actively sought NATO enlargement to respond to Russian aggression, which never posed a military threat to Russia.

Putin's invasion of Ukraine was not about NATO encirclement but rather a rejection of Ukrainian sovereignty. His aim was to reverse Ukrainian independence and recreate the Russian empire. The US did not install a Russophobic regime in Ukraine. Still, the Euromaidan protests started organically in response to Yanukovych's refusal to sign the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement and his crackdown on peaceful protesters. The US and its allies did not cause Russia's aggression; Putin decided to invade Ukraine.

While the West made some missteps, such as neglecting Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union and failing to respond forcefully to previous Russian aggressions, these actions did not force Putin's hand. The blame for the war in Ukraine lies entirely with him.

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