German officials have reacted cautiously to Vladimir Putin's surprise suggestion that former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder could act as a mediator in Ukraine war peace talks. Government sources told AFP they had 'taken note' of Putin's comments but viewed them as part of 'a series of bogus offers' from Russia. One source said a real test of Moscow's intentions would be to extend the current three-day truce.
Schröder, 82, has remained close to Putin long after leaving office, standing apart from most western leaders since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. He previously held key roles in Russian energy projects, including work on the Nord Stream gas pipelines and a seat on the board of Russian oil firm Rosneft, which he gave up in 2022. Putin on Saturday said he thinks the Ukraine war is winding down and nominated Schröder as a potential key negotiator.
Michael Roth, a former SPD lawmaker and chair of the foreign affairs committee, said a mediator 'cannot be Putin's buddy' in an interview with Tagesspiegel. He stressed that any mediator must be accepted by Ukraine. Others within the party have been more open to the proposal. SPD foreign affairs spokesperson Adis Ahmetovic said the idea needs to be 'carefully considered' with European partners, while SPD lawmaker Ralf Stegner argued Europe should seize every possible chance to avoid Putin and Trump deciding Ukraine's future alone.
Meanwhile, the US-mediated ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine appeared under serious strain on its second day. Both sides accused each other of violating the deal through weekend attacks. Three people were killed in Russian drone strikes near the frontline, and more than 200 battlefield clashes had taken place since early Saturday, Ukrainian officials said. Russia's defence ministry said it had downed 57 Ukrainian drones and 'responded in kind'.
In other developments, the US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Moscow 'soon enough' to continue talks, according to Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov. Russia also accused Armenia of providing President Zelenskyy with 'a platform for anti-Russian remarks', and Latvia's defence minister resigned after two Ukrainian drones crossed into its territory, hitting oil storage facilities.
