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The former chancellor uses the publication of her memoirs to explain and defend her government’s policies.
«Freedom: Memories 1954–2021» is the title of Angela Merkel’s memoirs. The book will hit the shelves in 30 countries on November 26. It was written with her longtime chief of staff, Beate Baumann. On the day of publication, Merkel will present the memoirs at an event at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin. Excerpts were published by Die Zeit last week.
One of the key subjects is the policy towards Russia pursued by Merkel’s government during her 16 years as chancellor. This policy is now being criticized even within her own Christian Democratic Union party. Merkel is accused of appeasing Moscow. Critics argue that the escalation of the Ukrainian crisis in 2022 could have been avoided if Ukraine and Georgia had been granted official NATO candidate status during the 2008 Bucharest Summit. At the time, Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy blocked their fast-track path to the alliance.
Below are some quotes on important and topical issues from Merkel’s memoirs, as published by Die Zeit.
On NATO membership for Ukraine and Georgia
«For Putin, the fact that the Alliance would promise NATO membership to Georgia and Ukraine would be tantamount to a declaration of war against Russia».
«I understood the desire of the Central and Eastern European countries to become NATO members as quickly as possible, as they wanted to be part of the Western community after the Cold War. […] But at the same time, NATO and its member states had to consider the possible consequences for the Alliance — its security, stability and functionality — at every stage of enlargement. The admission of a new member must enhance the security not only of that state but of NATO as a whole».
«What would have been the consequences if Ukraine and Georgia had been on the road to NATO with MAP (Membership Action Plan) status, but still unable to enjoy the security guarantees provided for in Article 5 of the NATO Treaty (collective military assistance in the event of an attack on a member state)? […] I think it is an illusion to believe that granting Ukraine and Georgia this status would have protected them from Putin’s aggression».
«Would it have been conceivable for NATO member states to react militarily — with material resources and troops — and to intervene? Could I, as Chancellor, have asked the Bundestag for a mandate for our armed forces to participate — and received majority support?»
«In the case of Ukraine, there was a special factor — the presence of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Crimea. […] In addition, only a minority of Ukrainians supported NATO membership at the time».
On Putin
«Putin (whom she met many times) was always on guard, always afraid of being mistreated, and always ready to cause discomfort, whether by overt displays of strength with a dog, arriving late so that others had to wait, and so on. […] This could be considered childish or inappropriate behavior. One could only shake one’s head. Still, Russia didn’t disappear from the map».
(A note on the dog incident: During a 2007 meeting between Putin and Merkel in Sochi, Putin’s beloved Labrador, Koni, entered the negotiating room. Merkel, who has a fear of dogs stemming from a bite in 1995, was visibly uncomfortable. Some foreign media suggested that Putin did this on purpose, knowing her fear).
«After Putin became president in 2000, he did everything he could to make Russia once again a player on the international stage that no one, especially the United States, could ignore».
«I was particularly struck by his sense of self-righteousness».
On Trump
«We spoke on two completely different levels: Trump — emotionally, while I — pragmatically (regarding her first meeting with him at the White House in 2017).
[…] In his worldview, all countries competed with each other, and one’s success was another’s failure. He didn’t believe that cooperation could lead to mutual prosperity. […] If he paid attention to my arguments, it was usually only to use them as a basis for new demands».
«The Russian president seemed to fascinate him (Trump) a lot. Over the years, I had the impression that politicians with autocratic and dictatorial tendencies fascinated him».
«My relationship with Donald Trump during his first term in the White House was so difficult that I even sought advice from Pope Francis. This happened during an audience in 2017, just as Trump was threatening to pull the United States out of the Paris climate agreement (which he later did). ‘Bend, bend, bend, but don’t break’, the pope told me. I liked that advice so much that I used it in several subsequent negotiations with the U.S. president».
«He saw everything through the lens of the real estate developer he had been before entering politics. Every piece of land could only be sold once, and if he didn’t do it, someone else would. That’s how he saw the world».
«For many years, the many German cars on the streets of New York were a thorn in Trump’s side. In his view, Americans were buying them only because of dumping prices and alleged currency manipulation between the euro and the dollar».
This is just a glimpse of the revelations in Angela Merkel’s memoir, which is full of candid insights. The book will be released today and promises even more fascinating content.