Overview

• Angela Merkel told Hungarian outlet Partizán that in June 2021 she sought an EU-wide format for direct talks with Vladimir Putin after concluding the Minsk process was failing.
• She said Baltic states and Poland opposed the proposal, adding that pandemic-era limits on face-to-face diplomacy hindered efforts to find compromises before the 2022 invasion.
• Estonia’s foreign minister Margus Tsahkna said Russia alone is responsible for the war, and former Latvian prime minister Krišjānis Kariņš called Merkel’s approach naive.
• Polish figures reacted angrily, with former prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki calling the interview thoughtless, while some in Poland argued the media overstated her wording.
• The remarks reignited scrutiny of Merkel’s record on Russia, including her 2008 stance on Ukraine’s NATO bid and support for Nord Stream, as renewed Russian strikes on Ukraine formed the backdrop.