Germany has dismissed a proposal by Russian President Vladimir Putin to appoint former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder as a European mediator in potential peace talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
A German official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that the proposal lacked credibility because Russia had not altered its conditions for ending the war.
The official said an initial test of Moscow’s intentions would be whether it was willing to extend a three-day ceasefire and described Putin’s previous proposals as “bogus offers” aimed at dividing Western allies.
Putin reportedly said that if the European Union were to engage in talks with Moscow, his preferred mediator would be Schröder, who has maintained close ties with the Kremlin.
Within Germany’s ruling Social Democratic Party (SPD), reactions to the proposal were mixed.
Michael Roth, a former chair of the Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committee, called the proposal “an affront to the U.S. and a transparent maneuver.”
“Anyone who seriously wants peace starts with a ceasefire,” Roth told Der Tagesspiegel, adding that a mediator “cannot simply be Putin’s buddy.”
However, Adis Ahmetović said the idea should not be dismissed outright if it helped ensure Europe had a role in any future negotiations.
“If one condition for this is the involvement of the former German chancellor, this should be carefully considered in close consultation with our European partners,” he told Der Spiegel.
Schröder, who served as chancellor from 1998 to 2005, has faced criticism in Germany for his work with Russian state-controlled companies, including Nord Stream AG and Rosneft.
