Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has criticized the European Union for its lack of diplomatic efforts with Russia over the war in Ukraine.
In an interview with German broadcaster WDR, Merkel said military support for Ukraine is right, but added that Europe is not using its diplomatic power enough.
"It is wrong for the US to be the only one maintaining contact with Russia. Europe should use its diplomatic influence more," she said.
Merkel stressed that she had proposed the creation of a dialogue framework between the EU and Russia in 2021, but the idea did not materialize due to disagreements within member states.
She added that diplomacy must remain part of conflict resolution, recalling her experience in negotiations with Russia and Ukraine in previous years.
The former German chancellor led Germany from 2005 to 2021 and played an important role in the EU's relations with Moscow before the war in Ukraine. /Panorama
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