EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Monday pushed back on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal for ex-German leader Gerhard Schroeder to mediate with Europe on the war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n
“If we give the right to Russia to appoint a negotiator on our behalf, you know, that would not be very wise,” Kallas told reporters ahead of foreign ministers’ talks in Brussels.<\/p>\n
“Gerhard Schroeder has been a high-level lobbyist for Russian state-owned companies. So it’s clear why Putin wants him to be the person so that actually, you know, he would be sitting on both sides of the table,” she said.<\/p>\n
Asked on Saturday whom he would like to help restart talks with Europe, Putin said he would “personally” prefer Schroeder, who led Germany from 1998 to 2005.<\/p>\n
The former chancellor has remained close to the Kremlin leader long after leaving office, standing apart from most Western leaders since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.<\/p>\n
The 82-year-old previously held key roles in Russian energy projects, including work on the Nord Stream gas pipelines and a seat on the board of Russian oil firm Rosneft, which he gave up in 2022.<\/p>\n
On the broader question of speaking directly with Putin, Kallas reiterated that the European Union’s member countries should first seek to align objectives from any such talks — and would seek to do so during informal foreign ministers’ talks later this month.<\/p>\n
“Before we discuss with Russia, we should discuss amongst ourselves what we want to talk to them about,” Kallas said.<\/p>\n
Berlin has likewise reacted sceptically to Putin’s Schroeder proposal, with government sources telling AFP Sunday they viewed it as part of “a series of bogus offers” from Russia.<\/p>\n
Schroeder’s stance has made him a controversial figure at home. He has never publicly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, costing him several privileges normally granted to former chancellors.<\/p>\n
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