Angela Merkel breaks silence, in a first denounces Russia's 'barbaric' war on Ukraine

In her first public response in more than six months, the former German chancellor Angela Merkel condemned Russia’s brutal attack on Ukraine, labelling it a breach of the international law and a "profound break" since the Europe after World War II. "My solidarity is with Ukraine, which was attacked and invaded by Russia, and with supporting its right to self-defence," Merkel said on Wednesday evening in a speech, German broadcasters reported. The four-term chancellor of Berlin had been reluctant to weigh in on the ongoing conflict from the sidelines. Merkel asks to end barbaric war of aggression by Russia Openly speaking against the Russian assaults on the Ukrainian territory, Merkel in a public speech said that she supports the efforts undertaken by the current German government to send the weaponry to Ukraine to defend its sovereignty. She also lauded the European Union, the United States, NATO, the G7 and the UN for ensuring “this barbaric war of aggression by Russia is stopped.” Merkel who had lead Germany with steadiness, resolve and pragmatism as the chancellor had asked the Germans and the incoming government to go forward with a “lightness of heart” and “look at the world from other people’s perspectives as well” during the farewell military honours from the Bundeswehr. As Moscow invaded Ukraine, Merkel was rarely heard making her stance public. On June 1, however, former German Chancellor expressed solidarity with Ukraine as she urged the new chancellor to "find an end to this barbaric war.” "My solidarity goes to Ukraine,”Merkel reportedly said, during the speech commemorating the outgoing president of the DGB trade union confederation. Merkel was widely criticised by the United States and allies for supporting Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline with Russia that would have made the bloc dependent on the Moscow energy supplies. Merkel's successor, Olaf Scholz, scrapped the project. She had also suggested speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin after the annexation of the Crimea, a statement that had attracted criticism from Kyiv. Recently, Ulrich Matthes, a friend of Merkel’s clarified to the German magazine that the war did matter to the former chancellor but she had decided not to get involved in controversies.

Advertisement

Angela Merkel breaks silence, in a first denounces Russia's 'barbaric' war on Ukraine

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed solidarity with Ukraine as she urged the new chancellor to "find an end to this barbaric war.”

Advertisement