Obama justifies his Ukraine policy – and protects Merkel
Former US President Barack Obama has defended himself against allegations of abandoning Ukraine. When Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014, there was “no armed invasion,” Obama said in a CNN interview. According to him, Ukraine was a different country at the time, internally torn apart, and people in Crimea in particular had “some sympathy” for Russia.
Obama also defended former Chancellor Angela Merkel. Merkel played a large part in the fact that the Europeans reacted to the Russian conquest with sanctions. From today’s perspective, however, the punitive measures at the time were too weak to influence the Kremlin’s political calculations.
In the interview, Obama argued that Ukraine’s will to oppose Russia and develop its own identity has only evolved over time. The Ukrainian government sharply criticized the statements. “Perhaps it is time to admit serious mistakes instead of inventing new excuses,” said Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser to the presidential office in Kyiv.