Angela Merkel says she lost influence over Putin as a lame duck leader

Germany's former chancellor defends her actions amid barrage of accusations since Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Angela Merkel has insisted that her position as a lame duck in the last months of her time in office made it more or less impossible for her to influence the behaviour of Vladimir Putin.

The former German chancellor appeared both defensive and quietly defiant about her inability to change the course of the Russian president's decision-making in the run-up to the invasion of Ukraine in February.