German newspaper Bild reported on Sunday that former German Chancellor Angela Merkel accused Poland of joint culpability for Putin’s war.
Interview with Hungarian Portal Partizan
In a recently uploaded YouTube clip, Merkel appeared in an interview with Hungarian journalist for the portal Partizan. Bild summarized the conversation in its headline, accusing Poland of shared responsibility for Putin’s war.
Merkel Discusses Minsk Agreement
Merkel spoke about the 2015 Minsk Agreement, negotiated with French President François Hollande, stating that in 2015 she observed Russia increasingly advancing. She recalled that 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers were in a precarious position at the time.
Effectiveness of the Minsk Agreement
The former chancellor admitted that the agreement was not “ideal” and that Russia did not fully honor it. Nevertheless, she said it brought “calm” between 2015 and 2021, allowing Ukraine to consolidate its forces and better defend itself.
Need for Direct Talks with Putin
Merkel highlighted that the outbreak of the COVID‑19 pandemic eliminated the possibility of direct exchanges with Putin, a situation she described as “very disadvantageous” for the evolving crisis.
European Request for a Direct EU‑Putin Dialogue
In June 2021, Merkel felt that Putin was not taking the Minsk deal seriously and wanted the EU to negotiate a new format of direct discussion with him. She noted that several countries, especially in the Baltics and Poland, opposed the initiative, fearing a lack of unified European policy toward Russia.
Missed Opportunity and Putin’s Aggression
Merkel stressed that, in her view, Europe should have worked on a common policy toward Russia. She argued that when this failed and she left office, Putin’s aggression began, and today the outcome of those missed chances remains unknown.
Bild’s Criticism of Merkel
Bild accused Merkel of overlooking that more than 5,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed or wounded by Russia between 2015 and 2021, and that Putin’s aggression began before her departure, with troop movements in early 2021 preparing for a full‑scale attack.
