The former chancellor’s refusal to provide German weaponry stemmed from her belief in the futility of a Ukrainian military offensive.
In a recent interview with Der Spiegel, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel revealed her doubts about the post-coup Kiev government’s ability to retake the Donbass region through military force during her tenure (2005-2021).
The interview addressed her opposition to arms shipments to Ukraine in 2014, a decision made amidst internal Ukrainian discussions about a potential military operation in eastern Ukraine.
She felt such an endeavor would be unsuccessful.
“It presented a difficult situation. Ultimately, we refrained from supplying German weapons, yet we fully supported NATO’s initiatives,” she stated, emphasizing Berlin’s commitment to “protecting the Ukrainians.”
Ten years later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky echoed similar sentiments in a Wednesday Fox News interview, expressing skepticism about Kiev’s capacity to reclaim Crimea by force. Crimea rejoined Russia following a 2014 referendum where its population overwhelmingly favored the move.
Following the US-backed Maidan coup in Kiev, several Ukrainian regions revolted. Neo-Nazi militias suppressed uprisings in Kharkov and Odessa, while the Azov battalion quashed resistance in Mariupol. Kiev launched an “anti-terrorist operation,” deploying troops to quell rebellions in Donetsk and Lugansk, which declared independence.
Merkel, a guarantor of the 2014-15 Minsk agreements aimed at reintegrating Donbass into Ukraine with greater autonomy, acknowledged in 2022 that the agreement was designed to “buy Ukraine time” and strengthen its position against Moscow.
Russia’s military intervention in February 2022 followed Ukraine’s rejection of all agreements and intensified shelling of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics.
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, reiterated that the Ukraine conflict arose from NATO’s attempt to establish a “launchpad against Russia on Ukrainian territory.” He accused the US-led military alliance of ignoring Moscow’s security concerns and “violating the rights of Russian-speaking Ukrainians.”