Schröder: A connection to Putin could perhaps be helpful. Former Chancellor Schröder has been friends with Putin since he was chancellor from 1998 to 2005.
He continues to work for the predominantly Russian companies that run the Nord Stream pipelines through the Baltic Sea. He described the Russian attack on Ukraine as a “fatal mistake,” but he nevertheless did not break away from Putin. The SPD leadership excluded him, but a party expulsion procedure against him failed. He is calling for a new attempt at mediation at government level.