Angela Merkel on Putin, Trump and defending her legacy

The erstwhile German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, was erstwhile described arsenic the world's astir almighty woman. Here she talks to the BBC’s Katya Adler astir Ukraine, Vladimir Putin’s atomic menace - and however she handled Donald Trump.

Angela Merkel led Germany for 16 years. She was determination during the fiscal crisis, the 2015 migrant situation and, significantly, Russia’s 2014 penetration of Ukraine.

Was she excessively brushed connected Moscow? Too dilatory to assistance Kyiv? If she hadn't blocked Ukraine’s Nato rank successful 2008, would determination beryllium a warfare determination now?

On Monday, defence ministers from the UK, France, Germany, Poland and Italy are gathering to sermon the deteriorating concern connected Ukraine’s frontlines.

But speaking to the BBC successful Berlin, Mrs Merkel is robust successful her defence of her clip successful office.

She says she believes the warfare successful Ukraine would person started sooner and would apt person been worse, if Kyiv had begun the way to Nato rank successful 2008.

"We would person seen subject struggle adjacent earlier. It was wholly wide to maine that President Putin would not person stood idly by and watched Ukraine articulation Nato.

"And backmost then, Ukraine arsenic a state would surely not person been arsenic prepared arsenic it was successful February 2022."

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky disagrees.

He describes Mrs Merkel’s Nato decision, backed by then-French President Nicolas Sarkozy, arsenic a wide "miscalculation" that emboldened Russia.

In a uncommon interrogation since she stepped down from authorities 3 years ago, Mrs Merkel expresses interest astir Vladimir Putin’s renewed threats of utilizing atomic weapons.

The 2 leaders got to cognize each different good implicit the people of 2 decades.

"We indispensable bash everything imaginable to forestall the usage of atomic weapons,” the erstwhile German Chancellor says.

"Thankfully, China besides spoke astir this a portion back. We shouldn't beryllium paralysed by fear, but we indispensable besides admit that Russia is the biggest, oregon alongside the US, 1 of the 2 biggest atomic powers successful the world.

"The imaginable is frightening."

Despite enjoying precocious popularity ratings during astir of her clip successful office, Mrs Merkel present finds herself connected the defensive.

She has conscionable published her memoir, Freedom. And the timing is interesting.

She says she did everything successful her powerfulness to guarantee peaceful means of co-operation with Russia.

In fact, Mr Putin launched his full-scale penetration of Ukraine conscionable months aft she near office.

This prompted a thorough re-examination successful Europe of vigor policies, diplomacy with Russia and besides migration policies that had go the norm nether Mrs Merkel.

At the helm of Europe’s biggest economy, she was, arsenic erstwhile Italian premier Matteo Renzi says, the de-facto person of Europe - "the brag of the European Union".

"Do you retrieve erstwhile [former US Secretary of State] Henry Kissinger utilized to accidental 'what is the telephone fig of Europe?'," helium says. "My reply was: clearly, the mobile fig of Angela Merkel."

He adds that erstwhile judging the Merkel bequest - implicit Russia and different - it is important to retrieve the norms of the time.

"One cannot onslaught Angela for the relations with Russia," helium says.

"In 2005, 2006 [they] were a extremity of everyone successful Europe, not lone a extremity of Angela Merkel."

Under Mrs Merkel, Germany and its energy-hungry large industries became babelike connected Moscow. Germany built 2 state pipelines straight linked to Russia.

President Zelensky described that inexpensive state arsenic a geopolitical instrumentality of the Kremlin.

Mrs Merkel tells the BBC she had 2 motives with the pipelines: German concern interests but besides maintaining peaceful links with Russia.

Fellow EU and Nato members successful eastbound Europe powerfully disagreed with her.

The Polish MP, Radoslaw Fogiel, said German state wealth filled Russia’s warfare thorax - utilized to money the penetration of Ukraine.

Mrs Merkel insists she tried to curb Russian attacks connected Ukraine utilizing diplomacy and negotiations, which - she admits - yet failed.

And German manufacture has been disproportionately deed by sanctions connected Russian energy. Forced to look for different suppliers, the state is present buying costly LNG. Businesses says they are crippled by the costs.

A caller epoch successful Europe’s relations with Russia "regrettably" began pursuing the full-scale penetration of Ukraine, says Mrs Merkel.

The 70-year-old present finds herself having to support her bequest successful different areas too.

The migration situation of 2015, erstwhile she famously opened Germany’s doors to implicit a cardinal asylum seekers, was possibly the defining infinitesimal of her clip successful office.

It was hated by some, hailed by others.

US President Barack Obama praised her arsenic a courageous and motivation leader.

But critics blamed her for breathing beingness into the past astir redundant far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

It is present polling comfortably successful 2nd spot successful German nationalist sentiment polls, up of a drawback wide predetermination aboriginal adjacent year.

The AfD’s main governmental rallying cry: a beardown anti-migrant message.

Angela Merkel admits the AfD made large gains, but she makes nary apology for her governmental decisions.

As for suggestions that her 2015 policies helped substance anti-immigration and far-right parties elsewhere too, including the Netherlands, Poland and France, aft she tried to enforce migrant quotas crossed EU countries, Mrs Merkel says she can’t beryllium held liable for each of Europe.

The lone mode to combat the acold close is to halt amerciable migration, she says.

She calls connected Europe’s leaders to put much successful African nations to amended standards of surviving there, truthful less radical volition beryllium tempted to permission their homes.

But with Europe’s economies sluggish, and voters disquieted astir the outgo of living, governments accidental determination is small currency to spare.

Angela Merkel appeared to enactment her state and its economical interests archetypal erstwhile it came to buying Russian vigor oregon during the eurozone situation - erstwhile confederate EU nations blamed her for squeezing them with austerity measures successful bid to rescue German banks and businesses.

But adjacent astatine location successful Germany, she is present accused of simply "managing" successive crises and failing to marque far-reaching, possibly achy reforms to future-proof her state and the EU.

Germany is present labelled by immoderate arsenic "the sick antheral of Europe".

Once an export powerhouse connected the satellite stage, its system hovers conscionable supra recession.

Voters kick she failed to put successful roads, railways and digitalisation, successful favour of maintaining a balanced budget.

Under Angela Merkel, Germany not lone became reliant connected Russia for energy, but connected China and the US for trade. Those decisions person not stood the trial of time.

Donald Trump threatens punishing tariffs connected imports erstwhile helium returns to the White House successful January.

Mrs Merkel does person immoderate thoughts for Europe’s tense leaders faced with Trump 2.0.

His archetypal word successful bureau was marked by choler astatine Europe, peculiarly Germany, implicit debased defence spending and commercialized deficits. Those gripes with Europe haven't changed.

What are the Merkel tips for handling him?

"It’s truly important to cognize what your priorities are, to contiguous them intelligibly and not to beryllium scared, due to the fact that Donald Trump tin beryllium precise outspoken," she says.

"He expresses himself precise clearly. And if you bash that, determination is simply a definite communal respect. That was my acquisition anyway."

But Europe’s leaders facing the US, China, and Russia, are apprehensive - arguably much truthful than during Angela Merkel’s time.

Economies are sluggish, voters unhappy, accepted authorities nether unit from the far-right and the far-left.

China and Russia are much bullish, the West weaker connected the satellite stage.

Wars pain successful the Middle East and successful Europe, with Donald Trump appearing little funny successful bolstering European security.

Perhaps that’s wherefore Angela Merkel says, these days, erstwhile satellite leaders she knows good telephone her for advice, she happily responds.

But erstwhile I inquire if she misses each that powerfulness and politics, her swift reply is: "No, not astatine all."

In the UK, you tin ticker Katya Adler's afloat interrogation with Angela Merkel astatine 19:00 GMT connected BBC Two and iPlayer.