Elon Musk set off a firestorm of controversy after posting a video about X challenging the Russia-Ukraine conflict narrative. In the video, which also features American economist Jeffrey D. Sachs, it is claimed that the US is responsible for the ongoing war, not Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Musk, one of the important figures of President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign, shared a controversial post that brings a different perspective to the origins of the war. Sachs, an outspoken critic of US foreign policy, says the biggest cause of the conflict is NATO expansion, not Russian aggression.

Sachs criticizes the Biden administration’s repeated use of the term “unprovoked” to describe Russia’s actions in the video. However, he argues that this definition is misleading and ignores the complex historical background of US-Russia relations.

Interesting pic.twitter.com/61G9RKibAY

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 12 November 2024

The economist cites NATO’s promise to Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev in 1990 not to expand eastward. Sachs said that Russia did not keep this promise and started a chain of events that increased the tension between Russia and the West.

Perhaps most surprising, Sachs claims Putin was once open to NATO membership and wanted a ‘mutually respectful relationship’ with the West. But he says US actions, including its withdrawal from the anti-ballistic missile treaty in 2002, have dashed those hopes.

Musk’s publication of the video brought the real causes of the war into discussion again. But critics say this perspective is too simplistic to describe a complex geopolitical situation; supporters say it challenges the existing narrative.