The European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, has rejected the idea of former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder taking on the role of European negotiator in potential peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
The proposal was rejected by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who suggested that Schröder serve as a mediator in future negotiations, stating that the war in Ukraine is "coming to an end."
However, Kallas openly opposed this idea ahead of the meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
"If we give Russia the right to choose the negotiator on our behalf, that would be unwise at all. Moreover, Gerhard Schröder has been practically a high-level lobbyist for Russian state-owned companies," she declared.
According to Kallas, the fact that Putin prefers Schröder for this role shows that he "would be on both sides of the table."
The former German chancellor has maintained close ties with Putin even after leaving active politics. He served on the board of Russian oil company Rosneft until 2022 and has also held roles at other Russian energy companies, including Gazprom and Nord Stream AG.
Ukraine has also rejected the Russian proposal. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha was asked if Kiev would support Schröder as a mediator, but he replied curtly: "No, we don't."
Meanwhile, there were mixed reactions in Germany. The foreign policy spokesman for the German Social Democrats, Adis Ahmetović, stated that the proposal should be "carefully examined" in coordination with European partners.
