11\/07\/2025November 7, 2025Former German foreign minister admits major misjudgment on Putin<\/p>\n
Germany’s former foreign ministerSigmar Gabriel<\/a> has called his misjudgment of Russian President Vladimir Putin a major error.<\/p>\n Testifying Friday before a state inquiry in Mecklenburg\u2013Western Pomerania<\/a>, Gabriel said he and others underestimated Moscow’s intentions. The committee is investigating possible Russian influence over a regional foundation linked to the Nord Stream gas pipelines<\/a>.<\/p>\n Misjudging Putin and his intentions was “one of the biggest mistakes in German foreign policy that I have been involved in,”\u00a0Gabriel, from the center-left Social Democrats,\u00a0said. He added that it had been\u00a0“a bitter realization.”<\/p>\n Gabriel, who served under former chancellor Angela Merkel<\/a> from 2013 to 2018, denied that the federal government had closely coordinated with the foundation but acknowledged serious errors in handling relations with Russia.<\/p>\n The foundation acted as a buffer, allowing contractors to continue work indirectly, without being exposed to US sanctions.<\/p>\n Gabriel also\u00a0defended the government’s earlier decision to continue with the Nord Stream 2 project after Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, arguing that halting construction could have undermined diplomatic talks.<\/p>\n The Nord Stream pipelines were built to deliver Russian gas to Europe through Germany.\u00a0Nord Stream 2’s parallel pipelines were\u00a0never activated, while supplies through the two Nord Stream 1 conduits stopped after Western sanctions. Three of the four pipelines were later damaged by explosions in 2022, with one of the Nord Stream 2 ones remaining intact but unused.<\/p>\n