You're referring to the comments made by Angela Merkel, the former Chancellor of Germany, about the Minsk Agreement.
In 2022, Merkel revealed that the Minsk Agreement was, in part, a way to "buy time" for Ukraine to build up its military and defense capabilities. She stated that the agreement was not intended to be a long-term solution to the conflict, but rather a temporary measure to prevent further escalation and give Ukraine time to strengthen its military.
Merkel's comments were made in an interview with the German newspaper Die Zeit, where she said: "The 2015 Minsk agreement was an attempt to give Ukraine time... Ukraine used this time to get stronger, as you can see today."
She also acknowledged that the agreement was not a genuine attempt to resolve the conflict, but rather a way to delay and manage the situation. Merkel's comments were seen as a candid admission of the true intentions behind the Minsk Agreement, and have been widely reported and discussed in the media.
It's worth noting that Merkel's comments have been corroborated by other European leaders, including former French President François Hollande, who has also stated that the Minsk Agreement was intended to give Ukraine time to build up its military and prepare for a potential conflict with Russia.
Let me know if you have any further questions or if there's anything else I can help you with.
Based upon this, it is easy to see how the West negotiated in bad faith. It has no intention of adhering to the terms of the agreement.
Is that how you see it also?
Was Vladimir Putin foolish to sign that agreement since the intent of the West, according to Merkle, was to betray the terms?
I am not sure that Putin and the Russians expected international legitimacy since the Obama administration sanctioned Russia.
The U.S. first imposed sanctions on Russia over Ukraine in 2014 under President Obama. These sanctions were in response to Russia's annexation of Crimea and its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine. They targeted Russian individuals, entities, and sectors like finance and energy.
Trump was not the first to sanction Russia. However, his administration did impose additional sanctions starting in 2017, including measures under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which expanded penalties for Russia's actions in Ukraine, cyberattacks, and other issues.
Hard to think Putin overlooked this. Do you agree?
It is likely that if the West has held to the terms of the Minsk agreement, Putin might not have invaded Ukraine in 2022. This is not a popular narrative with the Western media but the leaders basically admitted they were trying to get one over on Putin.