Former German chancellor urges West to acknowledge Russia's nuclear capabilities

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called on Western countries to acknowledge Russia's nuclear capabilities, describing them as "frightening."    

“We shouldn't be paralysed by fear, but we must also acknowledge that Russia is the biggest, or alongside the US, one of the two biggest nuclear powers in the world. The potential is frightening. We must do everything possible to prevent the use of nuclear weapons,” the former German Chancellor said in an interview with BBC, Caliber.Az reports.

Merkel said that the war in Ukraine would have likely begun earlier and been more severe if Kyiv had pursued NATO membership in 2008.

"We would have seen military conflict even earlier. It was completely clear to me that President Putin would not have stood idly by and watched Ukraine join NATO,” she noted.   "And back then, Ukraine as a country would certainly not have been as prepared as it was in February 2022." 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disagrees, calling former Chancellor Merkel’s decision on NATO, supported by then-French President Nicolas Sarkozy, a significant "miscalculation" that strengthened Russia's position. In a rare interview since her departure from politics three years ago, Merkel expresses concern over Vladimir Putin’s renewed nuclear threats. Over the course of two decades, the two leaders developed a strong working relationship. 

Despite maintaining high approval ratings during most of her tenure, Merkel now finds herself defending her decisions. Having just published her memoir, Freedom, the timing of her reflections is notable. She asserts that she did everything possible to promote peaceful cooperation with Russia. 

However, Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine just months after her retirement. This event led to a comprehensive reassessment in Europe of energy policies, diplomatic strategies with Russia, and migration policies that had been set during Merkel’s leadership.

By Naila Huseynova