Germany’s Ex-Leader Schroeder Goes Rogue With Putin Peace Bid
- Chancellor Scholz wasn’t informed or involved in Moscow trip
- Schroeder’s wife posts pensive picture near the Kremlin
Gerhard Schroeder
Photographer: Sean Gallup/Getty Images
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Since leaving office in 2005, Gerhard Schroeder has become a controversial figure in Germany with his ever-closer ties to Russia and President Vladimir Putin in particular. Now the former German chancellor is seeking to leverage those connections with an unauthorized peace mission, injecting a surprise twist into Germany’s response to the war in Ukraine.
After meeting Ukrainian delegates in Istanbul this week, Schroeder traveled on to Moscow to talk to the Russian leader, according to a report by Politico, which cited people familiar with Schroeder’s plan.