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Gerhard Schröder’s office declined to comment after Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed a preference for the former German chancellor as a mediator in peace talks to end the Ukraine war.
Putin told reporters on Saturday, "Of all European politicians, I would prefer talks with Schröder." The ex-chancellor has maintained close relations with Moscow and is a personal friend of Putin.
Speaking at the end of Victory Day celebrations, Putin also said he believed the four-year conflict with Ukraine was moving toward an end.
When asked by the DPA news agency, Schröder’s office said it would not comment on the matter.
On Sunday, German news agencies quoted anonymous government officials describing Putin’s suggestion as “not credible,” noting that Moscow had not changed its conditions for ending the war. They added that a first test of credibility would be for Russia to extend the three-day ceasefire over the weekend.
The 82-year-old Schröder has faced controversy over his close ties to Russia, personal friendship with Putin, and involvement with Russian energy companies after leaving political office. Writing in the Berliner Zeitung in January, Schröder described the Russian invasion as contrary to international law. "But I’m also against demonizing Russia as the eternal enemy," he added, urging Germany to resume imports of Russian energy cut due to the conflict.
Putin’s remarks come as Kyiv and Moscow observe a three-day ceasefire announced on Friday by US President Donald Trump after negotiations brokered by Washington.
The Financial Times reported this week that European Union leaders are quietly preparing for possible direct negotiations with both sides, citing growing frustration with US efforts. European Council President Antonio Costa said on Thursday that the EU was prepared to hold separate talks with the parties involved “when the right moment comes.”
Some senior members of Schröder’s Social Democratic Party (SPD), a junior partner in Germany’s coalition government, consider his Kremlin links make him unsuitable as a mediator. Michael Roth, former SPD lawmaker and chair of the foreign affairs committee, told Tagesspiegel that a mediator “cannot be Putin’s buddy,” adding that any mediator must be accepted by Ukraine.
Others within the party have been more open to Putin’s suggestion. Lawmaker Ralf Stegner said the EU needed a stronger role in peace negotiations and told Spiegel magazine, “If someone like Schröder were to succeed in doing so, it would be negligent to reject it.”
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