A Framework for Peace in Ukraine

Jeffrey D. Sachs presents a blueprint for ending the war in Ukraine that centers on negotiating a settlement that confronts the conflict’s root causes rather than treating its symptoms. He emphasizes the human and geopolitical stakes - hundreds of thousands of lives lost and an ongoing risk of renewed confrontation - and argues that a durable peace requires a comprehensive political and security solution rather than a purely military or transactional approach. The core claim is that only a settlement addressing underlying grievances and security arrangements can halt the violence and prevent future escalation.

The framework offers concrete, actionable elements intended to make a negotiation credible and verifiable: an immediate ceasefire and phased troop withdrawals, robust verification and international guarantees, political arrangements to resolve contested territory and state status, humanitarian relief and reconstruction plans, and mechanisms for accountability and long-term economic recovery. Sachs assigns roles to external actors to provide security guarantees, monitoring, and funding, and contends that pragmatic compromises and enforceable institutions are essential to translate ceasefires into a lasting settlement that reduces casualties and stabilizes the region.