In her book titled "Freedom," Merkel reflects on memorable encounters with SPD Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, then and future U.S. President Donald Trump, and the illegitimate president of Russia, Vladimir Putin.
Merkel recalls the NATO summit in Bucharest in 2008, where the discussion centered on the plan to grant candidate status for Ukraine and Georgia. According to her, she understood the desire of Central and Eastern European countries to join NATO as quickly as possible. However, the former chancellor believes that the admission of a new member should enhance security not only for that country but also for the Alliance.
She noted that she perceived risks regarding the guaranteed presence of the Russian Black Sea Fleet on the Ukrainian Crimean Peninsula as outlined in the treaty. Additionally, Merkel points out that at that time, "only a minority of the Ukrainian population supported the country's membership in NATO."
As Merkel writes, she regarded the assumption that candidate status would provide Ukraine and Georgia with protection against Putin's aggression as an illusion. She also doubted that, in the event of an emergency, NATO member countries would respond militarily.
Ultimately, a compromise was reached, but it came at a cost, according to Merkel. She states that the fact that Georgia and Ukraine did not receive commitments regarding the Membership Action Plan (MAP) was a rejection of their hopes. However, NATO's offer of a general promise of membership was perceived by Putin as an "announcement of war," as noted in her memoirs.