Quote from: be.open on Today at 07:02:13 PM

Quote from: Branko on December 13, 2022, 08:47:33 AM

https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/absolut-unerwartet-putin-zeigt-sich-enttauscht-von-merkel-wegen-ausserungen-zur-ukraine-9006844.html

In the interview published on Thursday, Merkel literally said: "And the 2014 Minsk Agreement was an attempt to give Ukraine time. She also used this time to get stronger, as you can see today.

According to Merkel, Putin could easily have overrun Ukraine in early 2015. "And I very much doubt that the NATO countries could have done as much back then as they do today to help Ukraine."

Putin was fooled, war was planned since forever...USA didn't plan to honor any agreements since dissolve of USSR

Many in Russia are of the opinion (including myself) that the special operation to liberate Donbas should have started eight years earlier. But in fairness, I note that not only Ukraine used this time to strengthen its combat capability, but also Russia - to diversify and minimize the risks associated with Western sanctions. Russia's disconnection from SWIFT, Visa and Mastercard in 2014 would have been a disaster for the financial sector, and in 2022 it went almost painlessly. From a food importer in eight years, Russia has become a major exporter. Therefore, I am not inclined to dramatize about the hypocrisy and duplicity of Merkel, in this world everything happens only on time.

Perhaps it should have started 8 years earlier. But Putin was trying - and still is - to out-trade the US. And he is doing it, too... considering the countries that are wanting to join BRICS.

Cool