Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel defended her legacy on Ukraine in a wide-ranging interview on Tuesday. In her first major interview since leaving office, Merkel condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but said she refused to apologize for her policies towards Moscow.
Speaking on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, she said: “In my view, what happened was not just unacceptable, but also a major mistake from Russia.”
“It’s an objective breach of all international laws and of everything that allows us in Europe to live in peace at all. If we start going back through the centuries and arguing over which bit of territory should belong to whom, then we will only have war. That’s not an option whatsoever.”
Merkel conceded that there could have been a harsher response to Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, but said that serious steps had been taken. She cited Russia’s exclusion from the Group of Leading Industrial Nations (G8) and NATO’s stipulation that members spend 2% of GDP on defense.
Merkel also defended her opposition to Ukraine and Georgia joining NATO in 2008.
She said that if NATO had granted them membership, Russian President Vladimir Putin could have caused “enormous damage in Ukraine.” She also cited systemic corruption issues in Ukraine.
“President Zelenskyy is unbelievably bravely fighting against corruption, but at the time, Ukraine really was a country governed by oligarchs, and so there you can’t just say “ok tomorrow we’ll take them into NATO,” she said.
“I don’t blame myself for not having tried hard enough,” Merkel responded to a question about how much she could have done to prevent an escalation with Russia. “Fortunately, I tried sufficiently. It is a great sadness that I did not succeed.”
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What rubbish.
Using the excuse of human rights to not allow Russia for ensuring Russia security (no NATO weapons in Ukraine) seems to me not an adult attitude. Moralizing the relationship between countries with different anthropologies (betw USA and Russia) is a BIG mistake,
This woman is @n eastern German communist who has done her best to destroy Germany.
Putin wants to destroy Europe? Seems like the EU and the US are hard at work on that already!
What right has Putin to totally destroy all these cities? Is that what we call divine justice? I like this explained to me! Putin is a sick man; this has nothing to do with war! This is a psychopath at work with no end in sight and must be stopped, NOW!
The US not only wants to destroy Russia but China as well. The leaders in Africa tells the US to get lost because they know the US wants to destroy their countries. A wise move. CHINA Builds and The US destroy.
Send her to the front at Bakhmut and let her enjoy the fruit of her scheme.
EU wants to destroy Africa. So much destruction. We have not put an end to slavery and oppression by EU to Africa. EU is hypocritical.
The EU is destroying itself by going along with the USA Craziness. If Ukraine is on the point of losing will NATO forces move in and add to the ruin Ukraine will already be in. If Ukraine drive out the Russians, what state will Ukraine be left in and is such a victory even possible. Such an unnecessary war when all Ukraine had to do was guarantee it would not join NATO and stop shelling the breakaway republics that would not go along with the USA promoted 2014 coup.
By choice?))) Said east German communist
Every one is talking about Germany and how bad was Putin! What about pushing him buttons for 8 years agreeing to peace talks just to get more time but never implement what they signed? West created uprising 2014 ! At the start of it I didn’t believe it but now it is all over the internet and west is saying it plainly we did it ! So we know where the hypocrisy is .
Nobody more responsible for Ukrainian mess than merkle.
Trump warned her a d Germany laughed at him
Seems like Europe wants to destroy Russia just as much.
Why did you ly about the Minsk agreement ? You are just like Americans who cannot tell the truth .
Nope, its you, the west and NATO and US wants to destroy Russia and that wont happen.
They should of brought Russia into the fold Instead of having the Cold War mentality..
France and Germany policy lead to this war in some part due to Minsk agreement. Now blaming Putin for what is happening.
Europe and USA always want everything in their way but Putin is not fool, putin being the most experience top politician around the world.
On word – greed !
Thats the main reason behind Merkels strategy.
Where were germans when Iraq's civilians and infrastructure were bombed to ground so american soldiers can go in? Where were she when afganistan turned in to bloodbaths?
Morals of western leaders are like fluid. They took the shape of container it needs to fill.
The damage you have done is enormous whether you blame yourself or not!
She meant Biden. Apologies on her behalf.
The problem is, the west is obsessed about containing Russia and Russia knows it. The west think theybare God or something trying to contain the rest of the world. Totally unacceptable.
Her legacy is funding Russian militarism, destroying her countries own military, pushing member states to either leave or consider leaving the eu, sucking up to china and not much else.
Is liberal democracy or liberal fascism, what’s security mean is it one sided security for certain groups of countries, by the way who got the moral power to criticise Russia while at the same time relentlessly working against Russia in all fronts. Even one can tell this DW anchorman he won’t say Russia instead Putin: Putin.
Go to the truth and read….what fellowship hath light with darkness……and Merkley of all persons should know this .. to be friends with darkness doesn't work. You know a tree by its fruits. The building has a rotten foundation which continues to this hour….what fruits it desimates. Syria…georgia…chetnia…and runsits tanks down any street it wants unless deterred….the mad dog must be caged within its borders. The spirit of the wild horse must be broken. Before it is a good horse and useful to man…..
Putin don't want to destroy Europe he does business with Europe it is you who wants to destroy Russia you are the. Aggressor always in every war anywhere it is you who benefits from wars but this time the war will knock on your door.
Putin actually wants to trade with Europe, but let's not spoil a good yarn.
Turning a blind eye, tolerating Putin's aggressions over 23 years is the great historical foreign policy failure of Merkel's administration,
The decades of appeasing Putin has tragic consequences, the more so with the deliberate one sided disarming of most of Nato, in particular Germany.
Shes the Queen of Frumpy.
Tougher with Putin? We had a German Russian friendship for many years! What happened to it? It was destroyed by an American anti Russian campaign.. America built the image of an hostile Russia which should not be trusted. This lie is the trigger for all that happened after that. The US created the conditions for the present war..
Wrong, Europe is no country ruled by the European committee . Good try.
And what did she do about the Minsk Agreement that she and Hollande was involved in? Absolutely nothing. And THAT led to this war! It's funny noone in the west dares to even face up to the breach of international laws!
She’s doing a far better job of it herself
BIDEN THE WAR CRIMINAL IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS UKRAINE CRISIS. HE WILL FIGHT TO THE LAST UKRANIAN… … NOT AMERICAN 🥶🥶😂😂😂😂
2014 was warning enough – she did not act. End of story.
That’s funny because everybody else does!
Where is the whole interview?
She destroyed Europe with all the illegal immigrants she accepted.
BS! NATO is destroying Europe!
US government wants all European economy be destroyed so that EU would end up relying for their own energy to the US.
Ukraine was a threat to Russia with NATO military base. UN accused Cuba for Soviet military base, and halt it by diplomatic trick. But now UN biased by supporting NATO.
Which block is expanding and encircling the other block? Nato or Russia? Am i missing something? Didn't the americans promise Gorbachev Nato won't expand sn inch east for approving Germany unification as reported by many historians? Do these agreements mean nothing? Misnk? Nothing? Buy us time?? WTF!!!
What is so wrong about Europeans who are obsessed with Russia? Shouldn't Europe be better with good relations with Russia? What do you really gain as people by engaging in hostile policies? It is easy for main stream media to talk about wars but you sure know that Russia isn't Lybia you destroyed by corrupted European leaders!
I will be here!