Merkel defends Russia ties and migration policies in new memoir
Angela Merkel, at the premiere of her autobiography "Freedom," defended her policy towards Russia and migration. She emphasized that she did not want to sever relations with Putin, which she believed was not a mistake.
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel presented her autobiography "Freedom" at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin. During the event, she expressed her hope that the book would be understandable to people who are not involved in politics. One cannot say that I left Germany in tip-top shape at the end of my term, she admitted, as quoted by "Tagesspiegel." She highlighted failures in climate protection, digitalization, and strengthening the Bundeswehr.
Angela Merkel: it was not a mistake
Merkel addressed her policy toward Russia. I did not want to sever relations with Putin, it was not a mistake, she insisted. She recalled that sanctions were imposed on Russia and that maintaining contacts with Moscow allowed for the import of cheap oil. That was the situation at the time, and I cannot imagine that without Nord Stream, Putin would not have attacked Ukraine, she added. Regarding Ukraine, she emphasized that she was never against Kyiv, even in 2008 when she blocked the country’s path to NATO.
Merkel also defended her migration policy. She believes that the solution to the problem of illegal migration to Europe is to sign agreements with migrants' countries of origin. These countries would accept illegal migrants in exchange for the legal migration of skilled workers.
Source: Onet
