Die Zeit: Angela Merkel admits Putin will never let anyone ignore Russia

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel was struck by Russian President Vladimir Putin's confidence in his own rightness. Putin also wanted to be treated with respect, Merkel noted.

Angela Merkel shared her impressions of the Russian leader in her memoirs, which she is going to release three years after leaving politics. German newspaper Die Zeit published a few excerpts from her book.

The book will be published under the title "Freedom. Memories 1954-2021". Merkel will present the book in Berlin on November 26. In her book, Angela Merkel tells the story of her life from childhood in the GDR to the times of her political career.

Merkel said that Putin wanted to be treated with respect

When writing about Russian President Vladimir Putin, Merkel particularly emphasized Putin's desire to be treated with respect.

"I saw Putin as a person who did not want to be treated with disrespect," she wrote.

The former German chancellor recalled Putin's speech in 2007 at the Munich Security Conference.

"I was sitting in the front row (…) and could observe Putin well during his speech. He was speaking fast, partly fluently. He probably wrote most, if not every, word himself. What moved me most was his self-confidence," Merkel wrote.

Merkel admitted that Putin was right about his criticism of the US war in Iraq.

The former chancellor also recalled a conversation with US President-elect Donald Trump in 2017.

"Donald Trump asked me a number of questions, including about my East German background and my relationship with Putin. The Russian president seemed to intrigue him greatly. In the years that followed, I had the impression that (…) [Trump] was charmed by him [Putin].

Concerns for NATO's security because of Ukraine's admission to the alliance

In 2008, Merkel opposed the admission of Ukraine and Georgia to the North Atlantic Alliance.

"The admission of a new member should bring more security not only to the new member, but also to NATO. That is why there are criteria that take into account the military potential and internal structure of the candidate country. The same applies to Ukraine and Georgia," she wrote.

According to Merkel, it was extremely reckless to discuss Ukraine's and Georgia's membership. If Ukraine had been admitted to the alliance, NATO military structures would have come with those of Russia, since the Russian Black Sea Fleet was already stationed in Crimea.

"Only a minority of the Ukrainian population supported the country's NATO membership at that time," she specified.

The former German chancellor also noted that Russia would not tolerate Ukraine's NATO candidate status.

"In my opinion, it was an illusion to assume that the Membership Action Plan would provide protection to Ukraine and Georgia,” she believes.

Merkel said she considered it grossly negligent to discuss MAP status for Ukraine and Georgia without analysing Putin's point of view.

"Since Putin became president of his country in 2000, he has done everything possible to make Russia an international player that no one could ignore," she wrote.

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Angela Dorothea Merkel (née Kasner; born 17 July 1954) is a retired German politician who served as the chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021 and was the first woman to hold that office. She previously served as leader of the Opposition from 2002 to 2005 and as the leader of the Christian Democratic Union from 2000 to 2018. During her chancellorship, Merkel was frequently referred to as the de facto leader of the European Union (EU) and the most powerful woman in the world. Beginning in 2016, she was often described as the leader of the free world. Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, her legacy came under increased scrutiny both in Germany and abroad.