Angela Merkel said she had “nothing to apologise for” over her policy towards Moscow, and Germany’s former chancellor denied that she had “appeased” Vladimir Putin over the years in her efforts to ease tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
Merkel was giving her first interview since stepping down as chancellor in December last year. It was also the first time she has been quizzed publicly over her policies towards Putin, which have come under mounting scrutiny since Russia launched its full-scale invasion on February 24.
“Diplomacy isn’t wrong just because it doesn’t succeed,” she said. “So I don’t see why I should say that was wrong, and I won’t apologise for it.”