Angela Merkel comments on Russia again – Melnyk rages: “Sounds almost perverse to Ukrainians”
Created: 09/30/2022, 09:42
By: Felix Durach
Angela Merkel was the guest of honor at a ceremony in Goslar and also spoke about Russia.
© Swen Pförtner/dpa
Angela Merkel has spoken about Russia and the Ukraine war for the second time in just a few days.
The former chancellor again irritated with her statements.
Goslar – At the end of 2021, Angela Merkel left office after 16 years as Chancellor.
Since then, her public appearances have become rare.
The interest is therefore all the greater when the former chancellor dares to go public again.
And people listen all the more carefully when the 68-year-old talks about the political situation in Germany and Europe.
Merkel makes public appearances again – former chancellor is a guest at the ceremony in Goslar
This is also the case with Merkel's appearance on Thursday (September 29).
The former chancellor was a guest in Lower Saxony for the ceremony to mark “1100 years of Goslar”.
Merkel also took part in the event at the invitation of her former deputy, Sigmar Gabriel (SPD), to honor his hometown.
During her speech – the chancellor spoke while sitting because of a knee injury – Merkel also touched on the current political situation.
Although the former chancellor did not comment on the policies of her successors in Berlin, she nonetheless focused on current developments in the Ukraine war.
For the second time in just one week, Merkel caused a stir with statements about Russia and its President Vladimir Putin.
Merkel calls for a pan-European security architecture - "including Russia"
Merkel initially described the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February as a "profound caesura", as
Focus Online
reports.
Russia's attack on the neighboring country was "the greatest violation of the principles of international law in Europe since the Second World War".
Merkel therefore attested to the need for action: the Chancellor called for work to be carried out on a pan-European security architecture in the long term – “also including Russia.”
Despite forthcoming annexations in Ukraine – Merkel calls for Russia to be included
According to reports, Vladimir Putin wants to formalize the annexation of the Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhia oblasts on Friday after mock referendums were held there in the past few days.
After the annexation of Crimea in 2014, this would again constitute an illegal expansion of territory at the expense of Ukraine.
Based on these developments, cooperation with Moscow on a “pan-European security architecture” currently seems difficult to imagine.
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An assessment that the former chancellor also came to.
"Today, this goal may seem as unrealistic to us as Adenauer did to reunification in Goslar in 1950," emphasizes Merkel.
And yet you have to try.
Criticism of the statements was not long in coming.
Andriy Melnyk, the former Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, rumbled against the chancellor as early as Friday morning.
Melnyk criticizes former Chancellor Merkel – "Sounds almost perverse to Ukrainians"
"This borderline obsession of the former chancellor with Russia as a state of terror is stunned.
On the day Putin robs 15% of Ukraine, Ms. Merkel raves about 'involving Russia' in the European security architecture.
That sounds almost perverse to Ukrainians," wrote the 47-year-old on Twitter.
Merkel had already caused a stir with statements about Russia on Tuesday.
When asked about Vladimir Putin, the 68-year-old said: "You should take your words seriously." Melnyk also sharply criticized these statements.
(fd)
