Merkel outraged for being made "scapegoat" for war in Ukraine
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel believes that she is being made a "scapegoat" for the war in Ukraine due to her position at the NATO summit in 2008, when she blocked Kyiv's path to a Membership Action Plan.
Merkel was asked in an interview with Spiegel on the occasion of the release of her memoirs if she felt that she was being made a scapegoat for the Russo-Ukrainian war due to her actions at the 2008 NATO summit. The former Chancellor responded that this was "not just a feeling; it’s the truth".
"Volodymyr Zelensky, for example, urged former French President Nicolas Sárközy and me to visit Bucha after the horrific massacre, obviously implying that our position in Bucharest was responsible for the deaths in Bucha," Merkel said.
She added that she "admires Zelenskyy for his courage and determination" throughout nearly three years of the war but disagrees with him on what happened in Bucharest.
"I warned again and again, including in Bucharest in 2008: Putin considers the collapse of the Soviet Union the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century – and, of course, I do not share this view.
From this, he concludes that there is an existential threat to Russia and, wherever possible, tries to keep other former Soviet republics under control by fueling conflicts. I was right in my warning. Because Putin invaded Georgia as early as 2008," Merkel said.
When asked why she had not drawn any conclusions if she was so clearly aware of what Putin was capable of, she replied that she had drawn conclusions.
"In my opinion, it was necessary to try to resolve conflicts with Russia peacefully. Nevertheless, we also strengthened the principle of deterrence... At the 2014 NATO summit in Wales, the goal was set for all countries to spend 2% of their GDP on defence. I admit that the pace with which this was pursued was limited," she said.
In response to criticism that Merkel had not effectively prevented Putin's aggression, failed to strengthen Germany's defence capabilities, did not supply Ukraine with weapons, and did not rid Germany of its dependence on Russian gas, the former Chancellor replied that "many important points are being forgotten today". For example, Ukraine and Poland were fundamentally not opposed to the import of Russian gas through their territories and receiving payment for it.
In the interview, Merkel stated that Vladimir Putin, at the beginning of his presidency, had no intention of attacking Ukraine, and his plan gradually took shape over the years, partly due to the behaviour of the West.