Former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder’s office declined to comment after Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would prefer talks with Schröder as a possible European mediator to help end the war in Ukraine. Putin told reporters he favored Schröder “of all European politicians” for such talks.
Schröder, 82, has longstanding personal ties to Moscow and a noted friendship with Putin. Since leaving politics he has taken roles in Russian energy companies and courted controversy in Germany over his closeness to the Kremlin.
In response to questions from the DPA news agency, Schröder’s office said it would not comment on Putin’s suggestion. Anonymous German government sources told news agencies the proposal was “not credible,” noting that Moscow had not changed its conditions for ending the war. They said Russia extending the weekend’s three-day ceasefire would be a first test of credibility.
Putin, speaking at the end of Victory Day celebrations, also said he thought the four-year conflict was “heading toward an end.” The short truce was announced on Friday by US President Donald Trump after negotiations brokered by Washington.
Schröder has previously defended aspects of Russia’s position. In a January column for the Berliner Zeitung he called the invasion a breach of international law but warned against treating Russia as an “eternal enemy,” and urged Germany to consider resuming imports of Russian energy that had been cut since the conflict began.
Within Schröder’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) reactions are mixed. Some senior party figures say his Kremlin links make him unsuitable as a mediator. Former SPD lawmaker and foreign affairs committee chair Michael Roth said a mediator “cannot be Putin’s buddy” and argued any mediator must be accepted by Ukraine. Other SPD politicians have been more receptive: lawmaker Ralf Stegner said the EU should play a stronger role in negotiations and that it would be unwise to dismiss a potential breakthrough should someone like Schröder succeed.
Separately, the Financial Times reported that EU leaders are quietly preparing for the possibility of direct talks with both Kyiv and Moscow, amid frustration with US-led efforts. European Council President Antonio Costa said the EU would be prepared to hold separate talks “when the right moment comes.”