Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel believes that dialogue with Russia helped save Ukraine in 2015.
“Because of the war in Ukraine, I have been critical: everything was wrong; we shouldn’t negotiate with Russia. Let’s go back to 2015, when the Russians were just ready to crush Ukraine. At the time, it was important to try to guarantee at least a ceasefire or any agreement. And when people simply say that speaking with Putin was wrong, I can only say this: as far as I know, Ukraine in its present form will no longer exist. I call on people to repeat these events in political debates and consider what the world looks like then.”.