German ex-chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is said to be not only vacationing in Moscow, but also holding “energy policy discussions”, and the Kremlin also confirmed the former chancellor’s visit on Tuesday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov did not rule out the possibility that Schröder could also come into contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“There are no meetings as such, but we are not ruling out contact,” the Kremlin spokesman said. Recently, there have been “less active” contacts between Putin and Schröder. The two politicians share a friendship.
Schröder’s wife confirmed visit to Moscow
Schröder’s wife, Soyeon Schröder-Kim, confirmed on Tuesday to the German news magazine “Spiegel” that her husband is currently in Moscow and “conducting energy policy”. According to a preliminary report by “Spiegel”, Schröder arrived in Moscow on Sunday and will leave on Tuesday. According to reports, the core of the talks will be gas deliveries through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. It is unclear who the former SPD chancellor is holding talks with.
“RTL” had already reported on Schröder’s visit on Monday. When asked if he would meet Putin, the former chancellor replied, according to the “RTL” report: “I’m going on vacation here for a few days. Moscow is a beautiful city.”
Russia connections cause criticism
Schröder and Putin jointly launched the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline project in 2005. The main supply line for Germany is now less and less filled with gas by the Russian side as part of the sanctions in the war in Ukraine. Putin has been criticized for using the gas pipeline as a geopolitical weapon, while Schröder has always defended it as a purely economic project.
Schröder has long been criticized for his close ties to Putin and Russia’s oil and gas industry. Even after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, many comrades in his party are of the opinion that Schröder has not distanced himself sufficiently from Russia. In the first week of August, the arbitration committee of the SPD district of Hanover Region wants to decide on a possible expulsion. However, the legal thresholds for a party sentence or even an exclusion are very high.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
