The idea of designating former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder as the bloc’s negotiator in prospective peace negotiations on Ukraine was rejected by EU foreign policy leader Kaja Kallas on Monday.
Declaring that the dispute was “heading towards an end,” Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested on Saturday that Schröder serve as a European mediator in upcoming talks. Speaking to reporters prior to a meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers in Brussels, Kallas, however, rejected the idea.
First, it would be foolish to allow Russia to designate a negotiator on our behalf. Second, Kallas stated, “I believe Gerhard Schröder has effectively been a high-level lobbyist for Russian state-owned companies. Putin’s support for Schröder would mean that “he would effectively be sitting on both sides of the table,” the head of EU foreign policy continued.
Since leaving power, Schröder has remained close to Putin. In addition to holding positions with other Russian state-owned energy companies like Nord Stream AG and Gazprom, he was a board member of the massive Russian oil company Rosneft until 2022. Ukraine also rejected Putin’s proposal, which was met with conflicting reactions throughout Europe. Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s foreign minister, was questioned on Monday about Kyiv’s backing of Schröder as a potential mediator. “No, we don’t,” he answered.
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