Without US backing, European NATO members are incapable of withstanding Russian aggression, according to former German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Merkel argues that European NATO nations need to bolster their defenses to deter potential Russian attacks. She also voiced concern that President-elect Donald Trump’s administration might weaken regional security.
During a Berlin presentation of her memoir, “Freedom: Memories 1954-2021,” Merkel acknowledged her government’s slow progress in meeting NATO’s 2% defense spending target, noting this was a common trend across Europe.
A key negotiator of the 2014-15 Minsk agreements aimed at reintegrating Donbass into Ukraine, Merkel admitted in 2022 that the accords were a strategy to buy Ukraine time to strengthen its military.
Merkel read an excerpt suggesting the Ukraine conflict’s escalation stemmed from a lack of direct communication between Western leaders and Vladimir Putin during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her memoir describes Moscow’s actions as having fundamentally altered the security landscape for Ukraine and European NATO members.
She stated that underestimating Putin was a mistake.
While advocating continued support for Ukraine, Merkel also stressed the need for diplomatic solutions when circumstances allow.
Her book calls for “credible deterrence” to defend European NATO members, suggesting that Germany relax its “debt brake” to increase military spending.
Germany’s constitutional “debt brake” restricts government borrowing and annual structural deficits.
Merkel emphasized that credible deterrence requires NATO; Europe alone cannot achieve it without the US. She raised concerns about President-elect Trump’s potential reluctance to deepen defense cooperation with European allies, given his warnings that Washington won’t aid NATO members failing to meet their defense spending commitments.
In June, President Putin dismissed claims of planned attacks on NATO as “absolute nonsense.”