Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel claimed that opposition from Poland and the Baltic states was behind the failed EU-Russia Peace talks, preventing the EU from engaging in direct talks with Putin in 2021, hindering efforts to avert a war in Ukraine.
In an interview with Hungarian media outlet Partizan, Angela Merkel reflected on the lead-up to Russia’s February 2022 beginning of the war, stating that she sensed Putin was no longer committed to the Minsk agreements, the 2014-2015 pacts aimed at resolving the conflict in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region.
”In June 2021, I felt that Putin was no longer taking the Minsk agreement seriously,” Merkel said. ”That’s why I wanted a new format where we could speak directly with Putin as the European Union.”
However, she alleged this initiative was blocked by resistance from certain EU members:
”This was not supported by some countries, primarily the Baltic states. Poland was also against it as they were afraid that we did not have a common policy towards Russia”.
She added that the COVID-19 pandemic further complicated diplomacy, noting, ”If you cannot meet, if you cannot discuss differences face to face, you won’t find new compromises.”
Angela Merkel, who left office in December 2021 after 16 years as chancellor, made the comments while promoting her memoir ”Freedom.” The proposed talks, co-initiated with French President Emmanuel Macron, would have marked the first EU-Russia summit since 2014, following Russia’s annexation of Crimea and support for separatists in Donbas.
While countries like Italy and Austria supported the idea, scepticism from Poland, the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), and the Netherlands ultimately stalled it.
Merkel lamented the outcome, saying, ”Then I left office, and the aggression of Putin began,” implying that unified EU negotiations might have influenced the course of events.
The statements have drawn sharp rebukes from Eastern European leaders, who accuse Merkel of shifting the blame. Polish officials described her claims as ”absurd”, suggesting insufficient diplomacy was the issue, rather than Moscow’s actions.
Former Latvian Defence Minister Andris Pabriks called Merkel’s remarks ”outrageous,” accusing her of ”turning things upside down and being unable to admit her own mistakes, which have actually cost a lot.”
Russian officials welcomed Merkel’s comments. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov agreed, stating that the EU is ”unfortunately held hostage by the fanatical policies of the Baltic states and Warsaw.”
Russian political scientist Sergei Markov praised the timing on Telegram, noting a shifting European trend toward seeking peace with Russia.
Merkel’s tenure has long been scrutinised for her approach to Russia, including support for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline – a project opposed by Poland and the Baltics as a geopolitical risk.
Merkel:
”Times have changed now, and we need to think about what position will best help us achieve peace”.
Sources
- DW: Why Merkel’s Ukraine remarks pleased Russia, angered Poland
- Responsible Statecraft: Diplomacy Watch: Did Merkel just say Euros provoked Ukraine war?
