Merkel blasted by Baltics, Poland for suggesting they share blame for Russia’s Ukraine invasion - Politico
Kyiv • UNN
Polish and Baltic officials sharply reacted to statements by former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who, in their opinion, partially blamed them for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Merkel pointed to the refusal of Eastern European countries to engage in direct negotiations with Putin in 2021.
Polish and Baltic officials have sharply reacted to what they perceive as former German Chancellor Angela Merkel partly blaming them for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Politico reports, writes UNN.
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Their criticism of one of Europe's most important politicians of the last two decades has once again exposed what critics call the failure of Merkel's approach to Russia, and further calls into question the former chancellor's legacy, as her flagship immigration and energy policies continue to be scorned and dismantled by her successors, the publication writes.
In an interview with the Hungarian opposition media outlet Partizán, published on Friday, Merkel noted the refusal of Eastern European countries to allow direct talks between her, Kremlin head Vladimir Putin, and French leader Emmanuel Macron, describing the preparations for Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
"In June 2021, I felt that Putin was no longer taking the Minsk agreements seriously," Merkel said. "And that's why I wanted a new format where we, as the European Union, could talk directly to Putin."
At a European Council meeting that month, Merkel and Macron proposed direct talks with other leaders in response to the buildup of Russian troops near Ukraine's border. But a coalition of Eastern European countries, including Poland, opposed the idea, the publication notes.
"Some did not support this idea. These were mainly the Baltic countries, but Poland was also against it," she said.
Merkel explained that these countries "feared" that "we would not have a common policy towards Russia... In any case, it didn't happen. Then I left office, and then Putin's aggression began."
Directly contradicting Merkel, former Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš said on Monday that at the time, many countries did not understand Russia, "including Germany and the former chancellor herself."
"I constantly told her that you cannot deal with Putin 'in good faith,' but she believed that the Baltic countries were wrong. I was well aware of Merkel's views, but I am surprised that after all that has happened in Ukraine, she still thinks that way," Kariņš said.
"Putin acts the way he acts, and the only options for the West are either to submit or to resist. It is strange that the former German Chancellor said something like that today, when it should be obvious to everyone what kind of regime Russia is. I am glad that the new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz does not share Merkel's views," he said.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said on Monday that Russia bears full responsibility for the conflict.
"Russia's war against Ukraine is driven by one thing and one thing only: its refusal to accept the collapse of the Soviet Union and its relentless imperialist ambitions. Only Russia is to blame for this aggression," he wrote in a post on X.
Merkel's comments also sparked a flurry of reactions in Poland, including from right-wing lawmakers.
Former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, now deputy leader of the opposition nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, said on X: "Angela Merkel, with her thoughtless interview, proved that she is one of the most harmful German politicians for Europe in the last century."
Polish MEP from PiS Waldemar Buda said: "When Merkel says that she wanted to reach an agreement with Putin again, it would probably lead to the division of Ukraine! They don't understand that by dealing with Putin, they provoked the war!"
Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, former Polish ambassador to Russia and current Minister of Regional Policy from the centrist Poland 2050 party, noted that Merkel's statements only fuel Russian propaganda. "To imply that someone did not sit down in time for negotiations with Russia and did not bow low enough [to Moscow] is absurd. It would have been even worse," she said.
According to Polsat News, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski was also asked to comment on the former German Chancellor's statement during a press conference after a meeting with Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen the day before.
In his opinion, this is "as true as what she said in her memoirs, that no one from Central Europe protested against Nord Stream."
"Look at the reaction of the German government to what I said in 2007 about us not liking agreements made over our heads, so it seems that the Chancellor has forgotten how her own government reacted to our protests," he added.
And Marek Magierowski, former Polish ambassador to the United States, according to Politico, criticized the media for misrepresenting Merkel's words.
"The former chancellor only says that the Baltic countries and Poland did not agree to a new format of EU negotiations with Russia," he wrote on X. "From this statement to the formulation that 'Poland is co-responsible for Putin's war' is quite a long way."
However, Magierowski did not hold back in his assessment of Merkel, calling her political tenure "one big disaster for Germany and Europe."
Merkel's team, the publication notes, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.