Changes

In an interview with ''Die Zeit'' magazine in 2022 Merkel confirmed the [[Western alliance]]'s duplicity in using the [[Minsk Accords]] in 2014 and 2015 to buy time for the [[NATO]]ization of Ukraine to use as a battering ram for the destruction of the [[Russian Federation]].<ref>https://youtu.be/TfAJu_ew9Ms</ref>

In an interview with ''Die Zeit'' magazine in 2022 Merkel confirmed the [[Western alliance]]'s duplicity in using the [[Minsk Accords]] in 2014 and 2015 to buy time for the [[NATO]]ization of Ukraine to use as a battering ram for the destruction of the [[Russian Federation]].<ref>https://youtu.be/TfAJu_ew9Ms</ref>

Merkel described the September 2014 Minsk agreement which France and Germany had brokered a ceasefire after the failure of Ukraine’s attempt to subdue the republics of [[Donetsk]] and [[Lugansk]] by force.  “I thought that the introduction of NATO accession of Ukraine and Georgia, discussed in 2008, was wrong. The countries did not have the necessary prerequisites for this, nor was it fully understood what the consequences of such a decision would have been, both with regard to Russia’s actions against Georgia and Ukraine, as well as NATO and its rules of assistance. And the Minsk Agreement of 2014 was an attempt to give Ukraine time.

Merkel described the September 2014 Minsk agreement which France and Germany had brokered a ceasefire after the failure of Ukraine’s attempt to subdue the republics of [[Donetsk]] and [[Lugansk]] by force.   

{{quotebox-float|“I thought that the introduction of NATO accession of Ukraine and Georgia, discussed in 2008, was wrong. The countries did not have the necessary prerequisites for this, nor was it fully understood what the consequences of such a decision would have been, both with regard to Russia’s actions against Georgia and Ukraine, as well as NATO and its rules of assistance. And the Minsk Agreement of 2014 was an attempt to give Ukraine time.

Ukraine used this time to become stronger, as you can see today. The Ukraine of 2014/15 is not the Ukraine of today. An illustrative example was the battle for Debaltseve. At the beginning of 2015, Putin could easily have overrun them at that time. And I very much doubt that the NATO countries could have done as much then as they do today to help Ukraine.”<ref>https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/merkel:-minsk-agreement-attempted-to-give-ukraine-time</ref>

Ukraine used this time to become stronger, as you can see today. The Ukraine of 2014/15 is not the Ukraine of today. An illustrative example was the battle for Debaltseve. At the beginning of 2015, Putin could easily have overrun them at that time. And I very much doubt that the NATO countries could have done as much then as they do today to help Ukraine.”<ref>https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/merkel:-minsk-agreement-attempted-to-give-ukraine-time</ref>}}

The Russian Foreign Ministry said Merkel's words may be used in denazification tribunals as evidence of crimes against peace by the NATO powers.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said Merkel's words may be used in denazification tribunals as evidence of crimes against peace by the NATO powers.