Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin should be spoken to in the language of strength because he understands him “very well”. According to the former head of the German government, only a “strong Ukraine” will make it possible to create a “lasting peace”.
“The best solution and the most convincing answer to Putin is to keep Europe and the United States united,” Merkel was quoted as saying by Czech portal Hospodářské noviny.
In December 2022, Merkel called the Minsk agreements an attempt to give Ukraine time to “become stronger.” She noted that today’s Ukraine militarily is “not what it was in 2014-2015”.
Putin said Russia had done everything possible to peacefully resolve the situation around Donbass, but was being “led around by the nose.” He also noted that he was disappointed by the statement of the former German chancellor.
