Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel takes readers behind closed doors in her upcoming memoir, Freedom: Memories 1954-2021, offering insight into her relationships with world leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin and former US President Donald Trump.

The memoir, scheduled for publication on November 26, highlights controversial moments from his 16 years in power, as his legacy comes under increasing scrutiny amid current global crises.

Here are five major controversies from Merkel’s memoir:

1. Mistaken Trump for someone “completely normal”

In her memoir, Merkel admits that her first mistake with Donald Trump was treating him as if he were “completely normal,” a miscalculation she quickly regretted.

Recounting their meeting in the Oval Office in 2017, during which Trump refused to shake her hand on camera, Merkel recalled whispering to him that they should shake hands again. “As soon as the words left my mouth, I shook my head. How could I forget that Trump knew precisely what he was doing,” she wrote, according to The guardian.

According to Merkel, Trump deliberately sought to create controversy over his behavior, exploiting it to attract public attention.

Reflecting on his “emotional” nature and preference for authoritarians, Merkel highlights how she misinterpreted his intentions during their first interactions.

2. Ukraine’s accession to NATO and the 2008 Bucharest summit

Merkel defended her opposition to offering Ukraine future NATO membership at the 2008 summit, a stance that critics say emboldened Russia’s aggression.

In excerpts published by Die Zeit, Merkel wrote that even the summit’s declaration that Ukraine and Georgia would eventually join NATO was a “war cry” for Putin.

She says Putin told her: “You won’t be chancellor forever. And then they will become a member of NATO. And I want to prevent that.

3. Ask the Pope’s opinion on Trump

Merkel sought advice from Pope Francis after Donald Trump’s election in 2016, describing him as a leader with a “win-or-lose mentality” shaped by his experience in real estate development.

She hoped to dissuade Trump from withdrawing the United States from the Paris climate accords. The Pope’s advice? “Bend, bend, bend, but make sure it doesn’t break.”

Despite her efforts, Trump withdrew from the deal in 2017, a decision she saw as a major setback in global climate diplomacy.

4. Criticism of Trump’s worldview

Merkel attacks Trump’s transactional approach to politics, writing that he saw the world through the prism of a real estate developer: “

Each plot of land could only be sold once, and if he didn’t get it, someone else got it.”

Merkel’s frequent calls for values ​​such as freedom and human rights during her presidency earned her the nickname “leader of the free world”, a title traditionally reserved for American presidents.

5. His “sincere hope” for Kamala Harris

Written before Trump’s re-election, Merkel expresses optimism in her memoir that Vice President Kamala Harris will defeat her political rivals.

Although she avoids any overt support, her criticism of Trump and her “sincere hope” for Harris further underscore Merkel’s concerns about Trump’s impact on global governance.

With the contribution of agencies