On October 6, political scientist Maksym Netsvytailov discussed former German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s high-profile interview on the "KlochoK Time" channel. In an interview with Hungarian media, Merkel spoke about the origins of the Russia-Ukraine war, attributing responsibility in part to the Baltic states and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Merkel stated that the Minsk agreements, reached in 2015, gave Ukraine time to strengthen itself but did not benefit Russia. She mentioned that by mid-2021, she sensed that Vladimir Putin no longer took the Minsk agreements seriously. Merkel’s proposal for a new negotiation format was not supported by the Baltic countries or Poland, citing fears of a lack of unified policy towards Russia.
Netsvytailov treated Merkel’s explanations with irony, drawing parallels to anecdotes and criticizing her for shifting responsibility to external factors. He referenced Merkel’s prior actions, including increasing Germany’s energy dependence on Russia and blocking Ukraine’s NATO membership bid in 2008.
The commentator suggested that Merkel’s role in these events will be judged by future historians and lamented her continued public influence. He encouraged viewers to discuss the topic in the comments and subscribe to the channel.
