Angela Merkel bids Vladimir Putin a disillusioned farewell

WHEN ANGELA MERKEL took over as Germany’s chancellor in 2005 Western leaders had high hopes that Russia would progress from semi-authoritarian regime to liberal democracy. Four years earlier Vladimir Putin had declared in a speech in German to the Bundestag, “Russia is a friendly-minded European country.” The then chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, Mrs Merkel’s predecessor, became so chummy with Mr Putin that shortly before leaving office he approved the construction of a gas pipeline from Russia to Germany crossing the Baltic Sea. Russia provided 40% of Germany’s gas. Germany was about to become Russia’s largest trading partner.