Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke at the opening of the Chancellor Helmut Kohl Foundation on Sept. 27, saying against the background of her own many discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, that one should not, as some do, dismiss Putin’s words as “bluff.”
In light of recent developments, she said she wanted to add to that: “Taking words seriously, not dismissing them out of hand as just a bluff, but dealing with them seriously, that is by no means a sign of weakness or appeasement, but a sign of political wisdom—a wisdom that helps preserve room for maneuver or, at least as important, even develop new ones.”
Merkel was also asked what she thought former Chancellor Helmut Kohl would have done against the backdrop of the Ukraine conflict. According to Merkel, he would “make every effort to protect and restore the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine” as Kiev sought to fight off Russian troops. However, she added that Kohl would look to “the day after” and keep an open mind about something “unimaginable” now—"how relations to and with Russia could one day be redeveloped” after the conflict ends.
