https://sputnikglobe.com/20220608/merkel-defends-her-stance-on-talking-to-putin-throughout-her-16-years-in-office-1096122890.html
Merkel Defends Her Stance on ‘Talking to Putin’ Throughout Her 16 Years in Office
Merkel Defends Her Stance on ‘Talking to Putin’ Throughout Her 16 Years in Office
Sputnik International
In separate interviews last year, Angela Merkel admitted to “significant differences" between her and Vladimir Putin, arguing that she is not afraid of... 08.06.2022, Sputnik International
2022-06-08T12:47+0000
2022-06-08T12:47+0000
2022-06-08T12:47+0000
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Angela Merkel has stated that she has no regrets about how she handled Russian President Vladimir Putin during her 16 years as the German chancellor.In her first major interview since stepping down six months ago, Merkel said that “diplomacy isn’t wrong just because it hasn’t worked”.The 67-year-old insisted she had not been naive in her dealings with the Russian president, who she met regularly during her time in office.Referring to Russia’s ongoing special military operation in Ukraine, she argued that “it is a great tragedy” her diplomatic efforts to prevent the operation “didn’t succeed”, but that she doesn’t have to blame herself “for not trying hard enough”.Merkel also defended her policy of supporting trade with Moscow, describing Europe and Russia as neighbours who could not ignore each other.Putin and Merkel have known one another for nearly two decades, first meeting in 2002, several years before the German politician became chancellor in 2005. Commenting on Merkel’s plans to retire in late 2020, Putin stressed at the time that he and the chancellor “maintain quite good personal relations”.The Russian president ordered the launch of the special operation to demilitarise and de-Nazify Ukraine on 24 February following a request for help from the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), who urged Moscow to protect them from Kiev’s provocations.The Russian Defence Ministry underscored that the operation only targets Ukraine’s military infrastructure with high-precision weapons.
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Merkel Defends Her Stance on ‘Talking to Putin’ Throughout Her 16 Years in Office
In separate interviews last year, Angela Merkel admitted to “significant differences" between her and Vladimir Putin, arguing that she is not afraid of сriticising the Russian president to his face. Putin, in turn, praised his relations with Merkel as “quite good”.
Angela Merkel has stated that she has no regrets about how she handled
Russian President Vladimir Putin during her 16 years as the German chancellor.
In her first major interview since stepping down six months ago, Merkel said that “diplomacy isn’t wrong just because it hasn’t worked”.
The 67-year-old insisted she had not been naive in her dealings with the Russian president, who she met regularly during her time in office.
“I would feel very bad if I had said: ‘There’s no point talking to that man [Putin],” Merkel said in an onstage interview at the Berliner Ensemble Theatre on Tuesday night.
Referring to Russia’s
ongoing special military operation in Ukraine, she argued that “it is a great tragedy” her diplomatic efforts to prevent the operation “didn’t succeed”, but that she doesn’t have to blame herself “for not trying hard enough”.
“I don’t see that I have to say ‘that was wrong’ and that’s why I have nothing to apologise for.”
Merkel also defended her policy of supporting trade with Moscow, describing Europe and Russia as neighbours who could not ignore each other.
Putin and Merkel have known one another for nearly two decades, first meeting in 2002, several years before the German politician became chancellor in 2005. Commenting on Merkel’s plans to retire in late 2020, Putin stressed at the time that he and the chancellor “maintain quite good personal relations”.
11 November 2021, 16:58 GMT
The Russian president ordered
the launch of the special operation to demilitarise and de-Nazify Ukraine on 24 February following a request for help from the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), who urged Moscow to protect them from Kiev’s provocations.
The Russian Defence Ministry underscored that the operation only targets Ukraine’s military infrastructure with high-precision weapons.
