Merkel Calls for ‘Credible Deterrence’ Against Russia
Germany's former chancellor, Merkel, has stated that European NATO countries are unable to confront the Kremlin without the backing of the US. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has highlighted that European NATO member states need to bolster their defense capabilities to deter possible Russian aggression. She also expressed concerns that the return of US President-elect Donald Trump could weaken regional security.
During a presentation in Berlin for her memoirs, titled ‘Freedom: Memories 1954-2021’, Merkel noted that her government did not meet NATO's 2% defense spending target promptly enough, a trend she observed in other European nations as well.
Merkel, who held the chancellorship from 2005 to 2021, played a key role in the 2014-15 Minsk agreements, which aimed to reintegrate Donbass into Ukraine while allowing the region more autonomy. In 2022, she acknowledged that the agreements were primarily intended as a means for Ukraine to prepare its military.
At Tuesday's event, she recited a passage from her book, suggesting that the escalation of the Ukraine conflict may have stemmed from insufficient direct communication between Western leaders and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Covid-19 pandemic, which lasted from late 2019 to early 2022.
Merkel's memoirs indicate that Russia's military actions against Ukraine have “fundamentally changed the situation not only for Ukraine, but also for us, members of NATO, especially the European ones.”
In her reflections, she stated it “was a mistake to underestimate Putin.”
The former chancellor emphasized the importance of Western support for Ukraine while also advocating for diplomatic solutions to be explored when conditions allow for negotiations.
In her book, she called for the creation of “credible deterrence for the defense” of NATO member states in Europe. To achieve this, she proposed that the German government reconsider its self-imposed ‘debt brake’ to finance its military more effectively.
This ‘debt brake’, outlined in the German constitution, constrains government debt issuance and limits annual structural deficits to 0.35% of GDP.
Merkel insisted that “credible deterrence in the foreseeable future is a deterrence within NATO. Europe on its own cannot manage it [without the US].” At the same time, she suggested that Trump might be hesitant to strengthen defense ties with European allies.
The former president has repeatedly indicated that the US might not come to the aid of NATO allies that do not meet defense spending obligations.
In June, Russian President Putin dismissed accusations that Moscow was planning an attack on NATO as “absolute nonsense.”
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
During a presentation in Berlin for her memoirs, titled ‘Freedom: Memories 1954-2021’, Merkel noted that her government did not meet NATO's 2% defense spending target promptly enough, a trend she observed in other European nations as well.
Merkel, who held the chancellorship from 2005 to 2021, played a key role in the 2014-15 Minsk agreements, which aimed to reintegrate Donbass into Ukraine while allowing the region more autonomy. In 2022, she acknowledged that the agreements were primarily intended as a means for Ukraine to prepare its military.
At Tuesday's event, she recited a passage from her book, suggesting that the escalation of the Ukraine conflict may have stemmed from insufficient direct communication between Western leaders and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Covid-19 pandemic, which lasted from late 2019 to early 2022.
Merkel's memoirs indicate that Russia's military actions against Ukraine have “fundamentally changed the situation not only for Ukraine, but also for us, members of NATO, especially the European ones.”
In her reflections, she stated it “was a mistake to underestimate Putin.”
The former chancellor emphasized the importance of Western support for Ukraine while also advocating for diplomatic solutions to be explored when conditions allow for negotiations.
In her book, she called for the creation of “credible deterrence for the defense” of NATO member states in Europe. To achieve this, she proposed that the German government reconsider its self-imposed ‘debt brake’ to finance its military more effectively.
This ‘debt brake’, outlined in the German constitution, constrains government debt issuance and limits annual structural deficits to 0.35% of GDP.
Merkel insisted that “credible deterrence in the foreseeable future is a deterrence within NATO. Europe on its own cannot manage it [without the US].” At the same time, she suggested that Trump might be hesitant to strengthen defense ties with European allies.
The former president has repeatedly indicated that the US might not come to the aid of NATO allies that do not meet defense spending obligations.
In June, Russian President Putin dismissed accusations that Moscow was planning an attack on NATO as “absolute nonsense.”
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
