EU rejects Putin call for Gerhard Schröder role in Ukraine peace talks

The EU on Monday dismissed Vladimir Putin’s suggestion that the Kremlin-friendly former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder could serve as a European mediator in peace talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. Over the weekend, the Russian leader put forward Schröder – a longtime ally – as a possible figure to help restart talks with Europe , saying he would “personally” favour the former German leader for the role. Schröder, 82, previously held senior positions in Russian energy projects, including work on the Nord Stream gas pipelines and a seat on the board of Russian oil company Rosneft. He stepped down from the role several months after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine under mounting pressure, but has never explicitly condemned Putin over the invasion. Responding to the proposal, Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat, told journalists in Brussels before a meeting of foreign ministers: “First, if we give Russia the right to appoint a negotiator on our behalf, that would not be very wise.” Kallas added that Schröder could not be considered an impartial mediator given his past work as a “high-level lobbyist for Russian state-owned companies”. “It is clear why Putin wants him to be the person, so that actually he would be sitting on both sides of the table,” she said. …