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EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Monday rejected the possibility of appointing former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder as the bloc’s negotiator in potential peace talks on Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed on Saturday that Schröder act as a European mediator in future negotiations, claiming the conflict was “heading towards an end”. However, Kallas dismissed the suggestion while speaking to journalists ahead of an EU foreign affairs ministers’ meeting in Brussels.
“First, if we give Russia the right to appoint a negotiator on our behalf, that would not be very wise. Second, I think Gerhard Schröder has effectively been a high-level lobbyist for Russian state-owned companies,” Kallas said.
The EU foreign policy chief added that Putin’s preference for Schröder would mean “he would effectively be sitting on both sides of the table”.
Schröder has maintained close ties with Putin since leaving office. He served on the board of Russian oil giant Rosneft until 2022 and also held roles with other Russian state-owned energy firms, including Nord Stream AG and Gazprom.
Putin’s proposal was also rejected by Ukraine and received a mixed response across Europe.
Speaking on Monday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha was asked whether Kyiv supported Schröder as a possible mediator. “No, we do not,” he replied.
Meanwhile, the foreign affairs spokesperson for Germany’s Social Democratic Party of Germany in parliament, Adis Ahmetović, said the proposal should be “carefully considered” together with European partners, according to German outlet Der Spiegel.