BERLIN (IA) — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has expressed strong outrage over former chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s visit to Russian President Vladimir Putin to mark the Russian leader’s birthday, a German government spokesperson said on Friday.
Merz considers the meeting “downright immoral” given Russia’s war against Ukraine and the civilian suffering caused by the conflict, deputy government spokesperson Steffen Meyer said in Berlin. Putin alone was responsible for the war, Meyer quoted the chancellor as saying, adding that Russian orders continued to result in civilian casualties, deaths and injuries, and families being torn apart.
Schroeder, who served as German chancellor from 1998 to 2005, met Putin at the Russian president’s residence on Wednesday, when Putin turned 74. The Kremlin said Putin learned from media reports that Schroeder was in Moscow on business and invited his “old friend” to visit. Images released by the Kremlin showed the two men shaking hands and smiling.
The visit has drawn criticism from across Germany’s political spectrum, including within Schroeder’s own Social Democratic Party (SPD). Finance Minister and SPD co-leader Lars Klingbeil described the visit as unacceptable in light of the suffering caused by Russia’s war against Ukraine, according to German media reports.
Schroeder has maintained close ties with Putin and Russian businesses since leaving office. Shortly after his chancellorship, he became involved with the Nord Stream gas pipeline project and later held senior positions at Russian oil producer Rosneft. Russian media reported last week that he had joined the supervisory board of Russian supermarket chain Hyperglobus.
Putin has previously proposed Schroeder as a potential interlocutor for discussions on European security arrangements. The proposal was rejected by the German government and the European Union.
German authorities said the Foreign Ministry, the German embassy in Moscow and the Interior Ministry had not been informed of Schroeder’s visit in advance. Schroeder and his wife had not immediately responded to requests for comment.