Professor Chomsky, the father of modern linguistics and a world-renowned scholar, candidly stated that considering realistic situations such as the outbreak of nuclear war, it would be better for Ukraine to make concessions to Russia. Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Noam Chomsky (94), a world-renowned scholar and philosopher and professor emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), argued that Ukraine should concede to Russia's demands in order for the world to avoid the catastrophe of nuclear war.
On the 17th (local time), according to the Israeli daily The Jerusalem Post, Chomsky said in a recent interview with the American radical political magazine Current Affairs, "We need to focus on the actual situation the world is facing rather than heroic rhetoric."
He explained that there are basically two options to resolve the Ukraine crisis, recalling vividly the shock of the atomic bomb being dropped on Hiroshima during his youth.
He continued, "One option is to fight Russia until the last Ukrainian remains, as the current atmosphere suggests," pointing out that "this inherently carries the possibility of nuclear war."
Chomsky added, "That does not mean I criticize Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, who advocates resistance. He is a respectable figure and has shown great courage," and said, "You may sympathize with his position, but you can also pay attention to the reality the world is facing."
Chomsky said the other option is to face the fact that a diplomatic solution is the only alternative. He explained, "The basic framework of diplomatic negotiations could be the neutralization of Ukraine, perhaps granting the Donbas region a high degree of autonomy within a federal structure of Ukraine," and added, "Whether we like it or not, we must acknowledge that the Crimean Peninsula is not a subject for negotiation."
He emphasized, "Ukraine may not like such negotiations. Even if you do not like the fact that a hurricane is coming tomorrow, saying 'I don't like the hurricane' or 'I don't acknowledge the hurricane' will not stop the hurricane from hitting."
Meanwhile, Professor Chomsky, who is regarded as an outstanding linguist and the founder of transformational-generative grammar, established himself as a critical intellectual representing the United States by vehemently condemning U.S. policies during the Vietnam War in the 1970s. He has continued to voice his opinions on reality, publishing books analyzing capitalism and the global issue of inequality up to recent times.
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