Angela Merkel Says She ‘Won’t Apologize’ for Her Russia Diplomacy

Angela Merkel says she will not apologize for her policies during her 16 years as Germany’s chancellor, rebuffing criticism that they were somehow responsible for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in her first extensive comments to the public since leaving office last year.

“I don’t need to blame myself,” Ms. Merkel

on Tuesday at the Berliner Ensemble theater in Berlin during an interview with a reporter from Der Spiegel magazine.

“I tried hard,” she said. “It’s…