Speaking in front of the participants of the security forum in Munich, Angela Merkel declared that she supports the idea of negotiations between the European and Eurasian Unions on the creation of a common economic area from Lisbon to Vladivostok, but the precondition for it is the overcoming of the Ukrainian conflict. The German Chancellor also spoke in support of signing a transatlantic agreement on free trade between the EU and the USA.
Talking about the relationship between Europe and Russia, Merkel underlined that the EU wishes to create European security together with Russia, and not against it. The Federal Chancellor noted that the collaboration on the elimination of chemical weapons in Syria, and the negotiations on the Iranian nuclear problems showed that Russia and the West can cooperate in a constructive way, in spite of the difficulties.
Concerning yesterday's negotiations in Moscow, Merkel was rather reserved and just mentioned that it was another attempt and it's necessary to make such attempts regularly to achieve success. Angela Merkel rejected once again the idea of military supplies to Ukraine. Representatives of the US, the Great Britain and Baltic states had criticized the Chancellor on these issues for her reluctance to help Kiev with armament. "The problem is that I can't imagine a situation when the upgraded equipment of the Ukrainian army impresses Putin so much that he decides that he will lose in this regard. This is the reality, and I think that we shall proceed exactly from reality," underlined the Chancellor of Germany.
"There are no guarantees that President Putin will act in the way we expect him to. But I think that military intervention will lead to more victims and will not convince the Russian military machine that it will be beaten. It's not the first time I've talked to the Ukrainian President, and I know that we have different opinions on this question. But I say: it's impossible to win by military means," Merkel noted, adding that it's a bitter truth and the international community should think out something else.
"That's why it is so necessary for us to be united and patient. I'm absolutely sure that we will win and have success with our principles. When, only two months after the moment of introducing sanctions against Russia, we in the EU begin to say that we don't see any effect, I can only say: it's clear, that this isn't how the fight can be won. Nobody knew when the Cold War would end, but it happened. And we should believe in what we went through ourselves," she concluded.
