Columbia University Professor Jeffrey Sachs has warned that European leaders who provoke Moscow are displaying “incompetent” and “unbelievably reckless” behavior.

In an interview with Afshin Rattansi published on Monday, Sachs described the dismissal of Russian warnings that a direct conflict with NATO could escalate into nuclear war as “unbelievably reckless.” He further noted that smaller European NATO nations engaging in hostile rhetoric act “a little bit like Israel—even radically more so,” believing U.S. protection would be assured in an actual conflict.

“This is actually not how the world works and they are so reckless and stupid to talk in these terms,” Sachs stressed.

Sachs argued that the West’s broader confrontation with Russia, which he maintains was provoked by NATO’s 2008 declaration that Ukraine would eventually become a member, reflects “not only war profiteering” but also “a tremendous amount of incompetence and cowardice and unwillingness of these politicians to admit basic truths.”

Additionally, Sachs criticized U.S. President Donald Trump for failing to follow through on an agreement he reached last year with Russian President Vladimir Putin to wind down the Ukraine conflict.

He lamented the United Nations’ inability to fulfill its role as guardian of world peace, arguing that Washington routinely disregards international rules.

“Essentially, the United States says: ‘We don’t obey any rules,’” Sachs said.