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Germany Rejects Putin's Pick of Schroeder as Ukraine War Mediator
(MENAFN) Germany's EU minister on Monday pushed back firmly against Russia's proposal to appoint former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder as a mediator for peace negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, arguing his deep ties to Moscow disqualify him from the role.
Minister Gunther Krichbaum told reporters in Brussels that Schroeder's long-standing personal relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin would fundamentally undermine any perception of impartiality.
"A mediator must be accepted by both sides, and that seems to be lacking," Krichbaum said ahead of an EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels. "Former Chancellor Schroeder has not done things in the past that would position him today as a neutral mediator, as an honest broker."
Krichbaum acknowledged that personal friendships are not inherently improper, but stressed they pose a direct obstacle to credibility in a mediation role — including, he noted, for Berlin itself.
"This certainly applies to us as well, on the part of the German government, but the important thing first and foremost is that a mediator, must be acceptable to both sides," he added.
The remarks came days after Putin publicly named Schroeder as his preferred intermediary for ceasefire negotiations on Saturday. Schroeder led Germany as chancellor from 1998 to 2005 and has endured years of domestic criticism over his conspicuously close personal and business ties to Putin.
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