CIRSD Conference, "The Crisis in Ukraine", Prof. Jeffrey D. Sachs, Columbia University

A watershed moment in the history of international relations was the outbreak of the First World War, whose centenary is being commemorated in various ways across the Old Continent and beyond. This has renewed interest in the events leading up to the commencement of hostilities in August 1914. It has also spurred academic and policymaking circles around the world to examine how the lessons of a century ago could be applied to the study and conduct of contemporary international relations. Accordingly, the Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development (CIRSD) organized a two-day international conference in Belgrade on 30-31 May 2014 entitled "The European Tragedy of 1914 and the Multipolar World of 2014: Lessons Learned". Panel V The Crisis in Ukraine: Winds of the New Cold War?- Russia, the EU and U.S. are making moves in an increasingly tumultuous region of Eastern Europe in which each party seek to alter the balance of power in their favor. Understanding possible trajectories and how they can influence bilateral ties is assuming critical importance. Jeffrey Sachs is the Director of The Earth Institute, Quetelet Professor of Sustainable Development, and Professor of Health Policy and Management at Columbia University. He is Special Advisor to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the Millennium Development Goals, and is the Director of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. He is also co-founder and Chief Strategist of the Millennium Promise Alliance, and is the Director of the Millennium Villages Project. Dr. Sachs is one of the world's leading expert on economic development and the fight against poverty. His work on fighting hunger and disease, and promoting economic growth and sustainable environmental practices, has taken him to more than 125 countries with more than 90 percent of the world's population. For more than a quarter century he has advised dozens of statesmen on economic strategy in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Prof. Sachs is a member of CIRSD Board of Advisers.