Baltic countries aggravated by Merkel's suggestion: Poland pointed to Russia's reluctance to talk

In 2021, the Baltic States and Poland indicated that Russia did not want to talk to the United Europe – said President of Latvia Edgars Rinkevics on Tuesday. This is how he commented on the words of the former German chancellor Angela Merkel about the opposition of these countries against the direct conversations of Russia and the EU before the outbreak of war in Ukraine in 2022.

Rinkevics, when asked during a press conference for the statement of Merkel, which in an interview with the Hungarian online channel Partizan said that before the war “she wanted a new format” to “talk to Putin directly as the EU”, but Poland and the Baltic States were “opposite” because “they were afraid that there was no common policy towards Russia.”

Rinkevics said on Tuesday that the possibility of direct negotiations of the EU-Russia was then discussed at the level of leaders and foreign ministers of EU countries.

– At that time, the position of the Baltic countries and Poland was such that if new negotiation formats are to be created, the whole EU must be part of it. Russia understands only a united and strong position – said Rinkevics, who was the head of Latvian diplomacy at the time.

In 2021, the Baltic States and Poland emphasized that Russia does not want dialogue with the United Europe and will try to divide it – added President of Latvia. He stated that Russia in 2021 would be ready for conversations, only if its ultimatum regarding Ukraine, NATO and security order in Europe were met.

According to Rinkevics, even in the EU there is no unity in Russia, including sanctions or, for example, the use of frozen Russian means to help Ukraine. He stated that the closer to Russia the EU or NATO country is, the better he understands the risks and threats.

– After February 2022, many in the West admitted that they did not listen to us. Were we right then? We had. Are we right now. I think we have – he noted. (PAP)

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