Putin meets ex-German Chancellor Schröder, seeking Ukraine peace mediator role

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, whom Russia seeks to involve as a mediator in negotiations with Europe regarding a peace agreement in Ukraine. The Kremlin described the discussion as "good and friendly."

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The discussion was friendly. It took place in a one-on-one format.

Kremlin advisor Yuri Ushakov told Russian news agencies that the meeting was "friendly" and held "one-on-one" in Moscow. He noted that Russian officials have numerous informal contacts, many of which are not publicly known.

Schröder, who served as German Chancellor from 1998 to 2005, has maintained a close relationship with Putin and has worked for Russian state-owned companies. Last month, Putin suggested Schröder could be a dialogue partner for new European security arrangements.

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I can very well imagine that there are many informal contacts and we simply don't know about them.

However, European Union foreign ministers rejected any role for Schröder, with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stating it would allow the former chancellor to "sit on both sides of the table." Ushakov also mentioned that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are preparing for a potential visit to Moscow, though dates have not been set.

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sit on both sides of the table