What is the prospect of negotiation with Russia after Merkel's recognition? The erosion of Western credibility

Former German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, in an interview with the German newspaper "Zeit" recently, considered the Minsk agreement of 2014 as an attempt to give Ukraine enough time to prepare for war against Russia. She expressed doubt that the then NATO countries could have done everything they are doing now to help Ukraine.

The Minsk Agreement is a series of international agreements signed between 2014 and 2015 by the Tripartite Contact Group on Ukraine, which consists of Ukraine, Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, mediated by the leaders of France and Germany, with the aim of ending the war in the Donbas region of Ukraine.

China reacted to the Merkel's revelation by issuing statements contending that the "Real intention behind Minsk agreements further destroys credibility of the West".

China's international media outlet, GT, which is aimed at communicating Chinese point of view to the West concluded that "They were just a stopgap to buy time for Ukraine and the West, and Western countries have never put real effort into resolving the differences with Russia over the Ukraine crisis."

The daily added:

What the former German leader stated tears down the last remaining bit of the "friendly" mask some Western countries put on with Russia. In the eyes of some Western countries, Russia is just a diplomatic and political "alien." Moreover, under the influence of Washington, some view Moscow as a so-called threat due to its huge military power and political system that does not meet the "Western standard." As a result, these countries have never stopped suppressing Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Merkel's confession about the Minsk agreements also showed that some Western countries, particularly the US, do not honor contractual obligations at all. They can go back on their words so easily. 

After Merkel's statements, Putin said that her statements were "disappointing," pointing out that "trust at the present time is almost non-existent, but after Merkel's statements it became unclear how to negotiate."

He explained that "it turned out that no one intended to implement the Minsk agreements," according to the recent German statements, and the statements of former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, stressing, "Only we were working sincerely."

 

Likewise, Putin considered Merkel's remarks to mean that "we were right to initiate the special military operation."

The Russian president said, "We are ready and open to negotiation, but the statements prompt us to think about guarantees and confidence-building measures," adding that "there is no general military mobilization, but rather some formations that can be replaced."

It is noteworthy that Merkel said, earlier, that she does not see a reason for her participation in the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis, and stressed that it "will be resolved through negotiations one day."

This came in response to a question put to her by the German newspaper "Zeit" about the possibility of resolving the Ukrainian crisis, noting that "all conflicts end at the negotiating table."

Merkel indicated that her previous attempts to settle the crisis between Russia and Ukraine "were aimed at preventing a clash between the two countries," pointing out that "the failure of these attempts does not mean that they were wrong."

Other Russian officials are now less motivated to negotiate any deals with Ukraine. Russian Senator Olga Kovidetti commented on Merkel's statements by saying: "The geopolitical collusion of Britain and the United States and their obedient vassal Ukraine on the deliberate delay in implementing the Minsk agreements with the aim of preparing Ukraine for conflict with Russia undermines the credibility of any subsequent negotiations and any agreements with these personalities Western politics.”

In turn, the State Duma Speaker said that Merkel's confession holds Germany and France, the guarantors of the Minsk Agreement, responsible for what is happening in Ukraine, morally and materially.

Even some European leaders were taken aback by Merkel’s revelations. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic expressed his surprise at the statements of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The Serbian president said that these are statements that change the position on what happened in Ukraine since 2014, adding that former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko previously indicated that they never intended to implement the agreements.

This European position is not limited to the Minsk Agreement. Rather, it is a repeat of what happened with the nuclear agreement with Iran. When US withdrew from the agreement, which was backed by the UNSC, European states essentially joined the US, in practice, and denied Iran all the rights given to it by the terms of the agreement.