【Lavrov: Withdrawing troops from East Germany was a mistake and betrayal by the Soviet Union】
On December 15, 2025, Moscow time, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during an interview with Iranian state television:
Unfortunately, there were such betrayals in the history of our country, but at that time it was called the Soviet Union. In recent years, the Soviet Union has been betrayed many times, including regarding East Germany, which was proposed to be annexed by the Federal Republic of Germany. As the conqueror, the authorities of the Federal Republic of Germany controlled all the land of the former East Germany, and all political figures were "expelled" from the road. They were not given any future. "This was an acquisition, not a merger."
Lavrov added:
This was a mistake and betrayal by the Soviet Union, as nearly 500,000 troops were withdrawn without any compensation, and the opportunity to maintain a presence in eastern Germany after unification was ignored. We all remember this. At that time, the West German authorities, after annexing the east, treated their compatriots as second-class citizens, making a huge mistake.
Original text: toutiao.com/article/1851602808519683/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author himself