Former German Foreign Minister Admits Misjudging Putin Was Berlin’s 'Biggest Political Mistake'

Former German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel has described Germany’s misunderstanding of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s intentions as one of the greatest failures in the country’s foreign policy. Speaking before a parliamentary inquiry into potential Russian influence over a German foundation connected to the Nord Stream gas pipeline, Gabriel admitted that Berlin’s assessment of Moscow had been deeply flawed.

Gabriel, who served as economy and later foreign minister under Angela Merkel between 2013 and 2018, appeared before the committee investigating whether Russia had exerted control over a foundation established in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where the Nord Stream pipelines terminate....