I can remember years back, when the West German govt (as it then was) denied that they had sent the materials for chemical weapons to Iraq. However, it came out that they had, so Chancellor Kohl apologised and said - oh yes, we did after all.
A person I knew who was a political activist on Middle East causes said - The Germans have a way with gas, don't they?
I remembered that, because I thought it was a nice line!
Only time will tell where much of the world really stands.