Merkel memoir reveals fears about Ukraine joining NATO

The ex-German chancellor was against the country’s application in 2008 due to concerns about Russia and a lack of popular support there

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has defended her decision to block Ukraine’s path to NATO membership during her tenure, warning that she knew inviting Kiev into the US-led bloc would provoke Russia and endanger European security.

In excerpts from her book ‘Freedom: Memories 1954-2021’ which were published by Die Zeit on Thursday ahead of its November 26 release, Merkel writes about the pivotal 2008 NATO summit in Bucharest, where Ukraine and Georgia’s applications for Membership Action Plans (MAPs) were debated.

Merkel, then in her second term as Germany’s chancellor, opposed the move, arguing that it would antagonize Moscow without providing adequate security guarantees for the would-be applicants.

“I thought it was an illusion to assume that MAP status would have protected Ukraine or Georgia,” she explains. “Would NATO member states have responded militarily, with troops and material, if Russia attacked? Would I have received a mandate from the Bundestag to send German forces? I don’t think so.”

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Merkel recounts an exchange with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who reportedly told her: “You won’t be chancellor forever. And then they’ll become members of NATO. And I want to prevent that.” She adds, “I thought: You won’t be president forever either. Nevertheless, my concerns about tensions with Russia at Bucharest remained unchanged.”

Critics argue that Merkel’s cautious approach emboldened Putin. Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has been among her harshest detractors, accusing Germany of prioritizing its energy ties with Russia over Kiev’s security.

Merkel acknowledges that the summit’s ambiguous promise that Ukraine and Georgia “will become NATO members” was a provocation directed at Moscow. She describes it as a “battle cry,” adding that her hesitation was driven by the need to protect NATO’s collective security.

“New members must strengthen the alliance as a whole,” she writes, pointing out that only a minority of Ukrainians supported NATO membership at the time.

Despite stepping back from public life, Merkel has faced continued criticism for her Russia policies, including Berlin’s reliance on cheap Russian gas. In 2022, she rejected calls to apologize, insisting that her decisions were grounded in the realities of the time.

Ukraine’s accession to NATO has been a point of debate among the bloc’s current members. Many states have spoken in favor of Kiev eventually joining the organization; Estonia has argued that the move would provide the best security guarantee for Ukraine. 

However, several member states, led by the US and Germany, have reportedly been reluctant to formally extend an invitation to Kiev. Washington’s ambassador to the bloc, Julianne Smith, told Politico last month that it has not yet reached a point where it is ready to offer Ukraine membership. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has also expressed concern that such a move could lead to a full-scale war between Russia and NATO.