Angela Merkel about Trump's fascination for strong men like Putin and Kim

Angela Merkel about Trump's fascination for strong men like Putin and Kim

former Chancellor Angela Merkel shared her impressions of Donald Trump during his first term in the White House. She reported that the new American president showed a “fascination for the sheer” by power guards such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Merkel's observations about Trump

"The way he spoke about Putin, and the way he spoke about the North Korean leader - apart from the critical remarks he made - there was always a kind of fascination for the sheer what these people could do," said Merkel in an interview with Christiane Amanpour from CNN. In this far -reaching interview, Merkel also discussed her new autobiography "Freedom", which reflects her 16 years at the top of the largest economy in Europe.

challenges during your term

During their chancellorship, the continent has experienced several crises- from business to migration to climate and pandemic questionnaires. Shortly after she left the office, Russia began with a comprehensive invasion of Ukraine, which raised questions to what extent Germany was dependent on cheap Russian gas and made some of its decisions appear in a harder light.

Merkel's personal and political development

In her book, Merkel describes how her life is shared in half. She spent the first 35 years of her life with studying and working as a chemist in the communist GDR. For the past 35 years, on the other hand, she lived in a free, liberal democracy - a system that she now perceives as threatened.

The challenges of liberal democracies

"Nowadays, liberal democracies are under fire. They are under pressure," warned Merkel in the interview. She remembered her first meeting with Trump in the White House in 2017. During a press photo in which the two were asked to shake their hands, Trump initially seemed to reject, although they shook their hand during Merkel's visit.

Merkel's impression of Trump and Putin's influence

Merkel said Trump "live from acting unconventional" and often try to set an example. In her book she wrote that Trump was "obviously fascinated" by Putin and "captured" by politicians with autocratic tendencies. "My impression was always that he dreamed of perhaps passing all of these parliamentary bodies that he felt as a burden and that he wanted to decide for himself," said Merkel.

Merkel's comments reflect the statements of several American officials who worked closely with Trump during his first term. Before the elections in November, John Kelly, who was the longest-serving chief of staff, said that Trump met "the general definition of a fascist" and spoke positively about the loyalty of Adolf Hitler's Nazi Generals. Trump's election campaign rejected these statements.

Putin's power game and the relationship with Russia

Merkel had closer relationships with Putin than many other European heads of state and government. As Putin, she knew how Putin knowing that she had once been injured by a dog and felt uncomfortable in her area, brought a large Labrador to one of her meetings in 2007. "It is a small attempt to test the waters - how resistant a person is, how strong," said Merkel. "It's a power game."

The geopolitical tensions and challenges

Despite the overall relatively warm relationship between Moscow and Europe, Merkel noticed that things worsened after the NATO summit in 2008 in Bucharest. At that time, NATO said that both Ukraine and Georgia would join the defense alliance at some point without giving them a plan. "I was firmly convinced that Putin would not allow this without taking measures, which is why I thought it was wrong to put this on the agenda," said Merkel.

While Merkel's term in office won a five -day war against Georgia in 2008 and began in 2014 with the first invasion of Ukraine, annexed the Crimea and occupied areas in the east of the country. In view of the full invasion of Russia in Ukraine in 2022, European leaders were criticized for not being vigilant enough compared to the threat from Moscow and their territorial aggression.

an outlook on peace and negotiations

With the war in Ukraine, which is rising to his fourth year, and the enormous losses on both sides are discussed as to whether the conflict can end with permanent peace. Trump, who wants to become an incumbent next month, said that he could end the war within a day without giving more specific details. Merkel pointed out that negotiations with Putin were a delicate matter. She remembered how she confronted Putin in 2014 because of the Russian invasion of the Crimea.

"There was a turning point in our relationship that I had to be extremely careful in dealing with him. You can not only rely on an agreement with him - that's absolutely right," she concluded. She added the negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

reflection on your own legacy

Despite the perception of a phase of relative calm in Europe, Merkelske opponents criticize that events have spoiled their legacy in recent years. In particular, they argue that Germany's extreme dependence on cheap Russian gas has strengthened Moscow's economy and its influence within Europe. When asked whether she had made wrong judgments during her chancellery, Merkel said: "We always have to look at things under the conditions under which we were at the time. I don't think it makes sense to say that you should judge from today's perspective."