Merkel's Book: The former German Chancellor candidly discusses Trump and Ukraine's NATO membership.

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel made candid statements about her time in office. In particular, she noted that she attempted to hinder Ukraine's aspirations to join NATO quickly due to her fears of a military response from Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. Merkel also shared her impressions of elected U.S. President Donald Trump, claiming that he was enchanted by Putin.

This was revealed in her book "Freedom. Memoirs 1954-2021". Excerpts from it were published by the German weekly Die Zeit.

"I understood the desire of Central and Eastern European countries to become NATO members as soon as possible," Merkel writes about the decisive NATO summit in Bucharest in 2008, when the plan for Ukraine and Georgia to receive candidate status for membership was discussed.

The former chancellor added that "the acceptance of a new member must bring more security not only to it but also to NATO." Merkel explained that she saw risks regarding the presence of the Russian Black Sea Fleet on the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea. According to her, there had been no such combination with Russian military structures with any of the candidates for NATO membership. She also claimed that at that time, only a minority of the Ukrainian population supported the country's membership in the Alliance.

"I considered it an illusion to assume that candidate status would protect Ukraine and Georgia from Putin's aggression, that this status would have such a deterrent effect that Putin would passively accept the developments. Could one then imagine that, in extraordinary situations, NATO member countries would respond with military force - materials and troops - and intervene? Could I have imagined that as chancellor I would ask the German Bundestag for such a mandate for our Bundeswehr and receive the support of the majority?" the former chancellor writes in her book.

According to her, a compromise was ultimately reached. NATO then offered them a general promise of membership.

"The fact that Georgia and Ukraine did not receive a commitment regarding candidate status became a 'no' for their hopes. The fact that NATO also offered them a general promise of membership became a 'yes' for Putin regarding NATO membership for both countries and an announcement of war," Merkel writes.

Angela Merkel also detailed her interactions with Donald Trump during his first four-year term. This included her perspective on Trump's relationship with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

"He judged everything from the perspective of a businessman, which he was before entering politics. The mentality of a developer - a plot can only be allocated once. If he didn't get it, someone else did. He viewed the world in the same way," Merkel writes about Trump.

According to the ex-chancellor, for Trump, all countries were competitors to each other, and the success of one was the failure of another. He did not believe in the prosperity of all through cooperation, Merkel believes.

As Politico reports, Merkel's comments attract attention due to the high level of respect she commanded among European political leaders even after her tenure as Germany's leader ended. Her thoughts on how best to deal with the former president will be useful for politicians preparing for Trump's second term.

The former leader of the Christian Democratic Union found her relationship with Trump so complex that she even sought advice from Pope Francis on how to communicate with him. Ultimately, she concluded that there would be no joint work for global development with Trump.

"We spoke on two different levels: Trump on an emotional level, while I operated with facts. He usually paid attention to my arguments only to build new accusations upon them. From our communication, I concluded: there would be no joint work for global development with Trump... Donald Trump asked me a series of questions, including about my East German origins and my relationship with Putin. He was evidently very enchanted by the Russian president. Subsequently, I got the impression that he was fascinated by politicians with autocratic and dictatorial traits," Merkel wrote about her meeting with Trump.

It is worth noting that Angela Merkel was first elected to the Bundestag in 1990, and from 2000 to 2018, she led the Christian Democratic Union party. She served as Chancellor of Germany for 16 years, until the 2021 elections when she decided not to run again. During her time in office, Merkel was considered one of the most influential political figures in Europe and the world.

What is happening in Germany now

In early November, the ruling coalition in Germany collapsed. As a result, the country is facing early elections. German experts have outlined the reasons for the coalition's disintegration. Among the issues related to the economy was military assistance to Ukraine. Additionally, disputes within the government revolved around budget policy, migration, climate, and ways to revive the struggling economy.

Moreover, without a doubt, the collapse of the coalition in Germany might not have occurred had Trump not won the elections. During his previous presidential term, Trump exerted particularly harsh pressure on Germany among EU countries, demanding significant increases in NATO spending. Even when Germany succumbed to that pressure and raised its expenditures, Trump began demanding even more. This indicates that Trump's victory will require new approaches to the German economy: less external spending and more focus on domestic obligations.

The elections will take place six months earlier than planned. The head of the largest opposition party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Friedrich Merz, deemed it necessary to hold early elections to the Bundestag before the inauguration of elected U.S. President Donald Trump on January 20, but on November 12, it was announced that they would take place a month later - on February 23.

Reports suggest that Friedrich Merz has the best chances of becoming the next Chancellor of Germany. The opposition politician stated that if elected, he is ready to have a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the resolution of the war in Ukraine. He clarified that he is prepared to issue an ultimatum to Russia regarding the cessation of hostilities. Should the conditions not be met within a day, Merz is ready to supply Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles and authorize strikes on Russian territory.