Putin’s words should be taken seriously – Merkel – RT World News
Heeding what Moscow says is ‘political wisdom’ and not a sign of weakness, says former German chancellor
Western countries should take Russian President Vladimir Putin and his statements seriously, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday. His remarks came after the Russian leader issued a warning to the West last week, noting that those who use nuclear blackmail against Moscow « You should know that the wind rose can turn around.”
In a rare public appearance at the opening of the Chancellor Helmut Kohl Foundation in Berlin on Tuesday, Merkel noted that Vladimir Putin’s words should not be ignored.
« Not dismissing them as a bluff, but taking them seriously is by no means a sign of weakness, » she said. On the contrary, « it is a sign of political wisdom, which makes it possible to retain room for maneuver or, no less important, even to develop a new one“, added the former chancellor.
She was apparently referring to Putin’s statement last week, in which he signaled that Moscow would use « all means to defend Russia and our peopleif its territorial integrity is threatened. « Those who use nuclear blackmail against us must know that the wind rose can turnsaid the Russian president.
Merkel was also asked what she thinks former Chancellor Helmut Kohl would have done in the context of the Ukraine conflict.
According to Merkel, hemake every effort to protect and restore the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraineas kyiv sought to repel Russian troops. However, she added that Kohl would seek to « the day after« and keep an open mind about something »unimaginable » now – « how relations with and towards Russia could one day be redevelopedafter the end of the conflict.
Merkel, who is widely considered Kohl’s protege, served as German Chancellor for 16 years and has established a working relationship with Putin. During his tenure, Germany was also heavily dependent on Russian gas imports. She has been criticized for being soft on Moscow despite her support for anti-Russian sanctions the West imposed after the Crimean peninsula split from Ukraine and joined Russia.
In June, Merkel said her resignation last year could have influenced Putin’s decision to launch the military operation in Ukraine in late February. At the time, she also acknowledged her inability to create « an additional Euro-Russian discussion format on a European security order alongside the Norman formatreferring to a framework that paved the way for the 2014 and 2015 Minsk Accords, which sought to establish a ceasefire between pro-Russian and pro-Kyiv forces.
You can share this story on social media:
rt
