Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has told the BBC the gas deals she made with Russia were intended to help German firms and kept the peace with Moscow.

She also insisted the war with Ukraine would have started earlier if she hadn’t blocked Kyiv’s entry into Nato in 2008.

Angela Merkel led Germany for 16 years. She was in office during the financial crisis, the 2015 migrant crisis and, significantly, Russia’s 2014 invasion of Ukraine.

Was she too soft on Moscow? Too slow to help Kyiv? If she hadn’t blocked Ukraine’s Nato membership in 2008, would there be a war there now?

Speaking to the BBC in Berlin, Mrs Merkel is robust in her defence of her time in office.

She says she believes the war in Ukraine would have started sooner and would likely have been worse, if Kyiv had begun the path to Nato membership in 2008.

“We would have seen military conflict even earlier. It was completely clear to me that President Putin would not have stood idly by and watched Ukraine join Nato.

“And back then, Ukraine as a country would certainly not have been as prepared as it was in February 2022.”

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky disagrees.

He describes Mrs Merkel’s Nato decision, backed by then-French President Nicolas Sarkozy, as a clear “miscalculation” that emboldened Russia.

She opened up in a rare interview, addressing her legacy amid ongoing global challenges. Merkel reflects on her policies, including her efforts to maintain peaceful relations with Russia, which are now under scrutiny following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. The controversial Nord Stream gas pipelines, her handling of the 2015 migration crisis, and Germany’s reliance on Russian energy have drawn both praise and criticism.

She defends her decisions, citing the geopolitical context of the time, but acknowledges the challenges her policies have created for Germany and Europe, particularly regarding energy dependence and the rise of far-right politics. Merkel also highlights the importance of investing in African nations to address migration and suggests strategies for engaging with global powers like Donald Trump.

Amid these reflections, Merkel distances herself from political life, saying she has no regrets but is content advising leaders informally. Her legacy remains complex, as Germany faces economic stagnation and Europe navigates heightened global uncertainties.