German Chancellor Condemns Schröder's Visit to Vladimir Putin

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder attended Russian President Vladimir Putin's 74th birthday celebration in Moscow on October 8. The Kremlin stated that Putin invited Schröder, an old friend, after learning the 82-year-old was in the city on business. Schröder recently joined the supervisory board of Hyperglobus, a Russian supermarket chain spun off from the German company Globus Holding. The appointment is viewed as a strategic move to protect the company from state asset seizures, which Putin has defended as a "symmetrical response" to Western freezes of Russian state assets.

The visit sparked intense political backlash in Germany. Chancellor Friedrich Merz characterized the attendance as "downright immoral," asserting that Putin bears sole responsibility for the war in Ukraine and the resulting civilian suffering. Finance Minister and SPD co-leader Lars Klingbeil also described the visit as "completely unacceptable."

While most German officials condemned the meeting, SPD member of parliament Ralph Stegner argued that Schröder's unique access to Putin could potentially advance peace efforts. This follows a May proposal by Putin to use Schröder as a mediator between Russia and the European Union, a suggestion that was rejected by EU governments and the current German administration.