Angela Merkel's government was preparing to train Russian troops at a number of modern military facilities

Angela Merkel's government was preparing to train Russian troops at a number of modern military facilities by the time Moscow invaded Crimea, writes The Telegraph.

Germany intended to help Russia create eight modern military training centers - before Moscow invaded Crimea in 2014. This is stated in the book "Failure - an investigation into the history of Germany's policy towards Russia", on which the publication of the British edition is based.

The plan, agreed during Angela Merkel's chancellorship, was estimated at 1 billion euros. According to it, the Bundeswehr was supposed to train the Russian military based on German experience. To this end, Russia planned to build eight combat training grounds with state-of-the-art equipment - laser guns, combat simulation systems, lecture halls and electronic sensors, modelled on the German centre near Magdeburg.

The project was led by defence giant Rheinmetall, which was to supply the equipment. As the authors of the book write, the German government "welcomed Russia's willingness to cooperate", despite the Kremlin's increasingly aggressive behaviour.

"The German political directive was to welcome Russia's willingness to cooperate and - to the extent possible - to implement it“, says retired General Josef Niebecker, who at the time was a military advisor to Gerhard Schröder.

In 2011, the then German Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere even openly stated in Moscow:

“From a security policy perspective, we are interested in a modern, well-managed Russian army“.

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The plans were effectively terminated only after the annexation of Crimea in 2014, when it became clear that Moscow was not looking for partnership, but was preparing for new invasions.

De Maiziere himself later admitted that he had “serious reservations“, but was subjected to “strong pressure“ by politicians, military and industrialists.

Journalists note that these revelations cast doubt on Merkel's public statements that it was Eastern Europe that "did not want dialogue with Putin".