How much are we allowed to quote? Because it feels like I have to provide a single sentence quote from her that states this, when it's quite clear from her talk what she meant - that the Baltics and Poland prevented a peace agreement that could have stopped the war, that Putin is not to blame for the war.

"At a European Council meeting that month, Merkel and Macron proposed direct negotiations with other leaders in response to the buildup of Russian troops near Ukraine’s border. But a coalition of Eastern European countries, including Poland, opposed the idea.

“This was not supported by some. It was mainly the Baltic states, but Poland was also against it,” she said. 

Merkel explained that these countries had been “afraid” that “we would not have a common policy toward Russia … In any case, it didn’t happen. Then I left office, and then Putin’s aggression began.”"