Merkel partly responsible for the war on Ukraine – Bundestag Defense Committee chair

The chairwoman of the Bundestag Defense Committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, in an interview with RTL/ntv, has sharply criticized decisions made by ex-Chancellor Angela Merkel during her term in office, indirectly accusing her of complicity in the Russian attack on Ukraine.

In 2008, many NATO member states advocated for Ukraine’s early admission. Germany and France refused out of consideration for Russia. Strack-Zimmermann, therefore, sees former Chancellor Merkel as partly responsible for the war of aggression currently waged by Russia against Ukraine.

The fact that the Ukrainians did not get into NATO “was a big mistake made by the French and Angela Merkel at the time,” said Strack-Zimmermann. At their summit in 2008, the NATO states promised Ukraine a speedy accession. The project failed because Merkel and then French President Nicolas Sarkozy spoke out against it – out of consideration for Russia. Merkel defended her decision even after the Russian invasion.

Strack-Zimmermann derives a special responsibility from the German federal government’s behavior at the time. One must stand by Ukraine after Russia’s attack and support it with arms. But “the story of Angela Merkel will have to be rewritten, especially that of the last few years and the complete misjudgments,” said Strack-Zimmermann.

She does not believe the war in Ukraine could last as long as the First or Second World Wars. “The war will definitely not last four or five years,” she said. Putin did not expect broad and sustained support for Ukraine. “Putin thinks we’re complete wimps,” said Strack-Zimmermann.