Leaders in Poland and the Baltic states have expressed fury over Angela Merkel’s claim that these nations derailed 2021 discussions on Ukraine with Russia, which were intended to prevent the 2022 war. In an interview with the Hungarian YouTube channel Partizan, the former German chancellor said that she felt Russia was no longer taking the Minsk agreement seriously by June 2021, and sought a new format for EU-Russia talks. However, Poland and the Baltic states were against such an approach, fearing a lack of unity in the EU’s stance toward Russia.
Former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki criticized Merkel’s remarks as ‘shameful,’ stating that her leadership made Europe dependent on Russian energy and weakened the continent’s military position. He accused her of ‘pursuing a policy that made Europe dependent on the Kremlin for years and disarmed the continent militarily.’ Morawiecki also emphasized that the fault lies with Merkel, not with Poland, for the current conflict. Former Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins echoed these sentiments, saying it was surprising that Merkel would make such claims now. He argued that many in Europe hoped that Russia would behave properly if the West did so too. Estonia’s Foreign Minister, Margus Tsahkna, framed the Ukraine conflict as driven by Moscow’s refusal to accept the Soviet Union’s collapse and its imperialist ambitions.
Russia, for its part, has consistently argued that NATO expansion towards its borders was the trigger for the war. Moscow has accused NATO of being in a ‘war’ with Russia by supporting Ukraine, which it claims is a direct challenge to its sovereignty. These accusations have fueled tensions between the EU and Russia, highlighting the deep divisions over the future of Eastern Europe and the role of international alliances. The fallout from Merkel’s comments has intensified the already heated debate about responsibility for the war and the future of European security.