Who Is Gerhard Schroeder, Putin's Pick for Ukraine Peace Mediator?

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to coordinate negotiations with the European Union (EU) aimed at reaching a peace agreement for Ukraine. The proposal was met with immediate skepticism from EU officials.

European Council President Antonio Costa recently indicated he believes there is "potential" for the EU to negotiate with Russia and discuss the future of European security architecture. When asked on Saturday (May 9) whom he would want to restart dialogue with Europe, Putin said he "personally" prefers Schroeder, who led Germany from 1998 to 2005 and has maintained close ties with the Kremlin since leaving office.

The following day, the Russian leader declared the four-year war could be "nearing its end," and expressed readiness for direct talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Moscow or a neutral country. However, Putin stressed he would only meet Zelensky after the terms of a peace deal had been agreed upon.

With U.S.-backed peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow stalling, here is a look at who Schroeder is and whether he could be a credible intermediary.

Who is Gerhard Schroeder?

Now 82, the former leader of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) served as German chancellor from 1998 to 2005, focusing his political agenda on European integration, reducing unemployment, liberalizing German citizenship laws, phasing out nuclear energy, and economic reform.

A disagreement over the 2003 Iraq war caused a serious rift in U.S.-German relations, with Germany siding with France and Russia to oppose military intervention in Iraq. After leaving office in 2005, Schroeder almost immediately took a role as chairman of a controversial German-Russian consortium building natural gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea. He held key positions in Russian energy projects, including the Nord Stream pipeline and a seat on the board of Russian oil giant Rosneft, from which he resigned in 2022.

Despite stepping down from those roles, the former chancellor has maintained close ties with Putin, a position that sets him apart from most Western leaders since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. His refusal to publicly condemn the invasion cost him many of the privileges granted to former German chancellors, including a state-funded office.

What is the relationship between Schroeder and Putin?

In 2004, Schroeder called Putin "a flawless democrat," stating he was "completely convinced that the Russian president wants to turn Russia into a democracy out of deep conviction." Under Schroeder, Germany deepened economic ties with Russia, boosting trade and increasing dependence on Russian oil and natural gas.

In his book "Klare Woerter" (Clear Words), Schroeder describes his relationship with Putin, who served as a KGB agent in East Germany in the 1980s and speaks fluent German. "The most important thing for a friendship is a common language," said Schroeder, who adopted two children from Russia.

Their friendship is believed to have deepened over the years. Schroeder has criticized sanctions and Russia's exclusion from the G8, even supporting the Kremlin's argument comparing the annexation of Crimea to NATO's 1999 intervention in Serbia's Kosovo province.

What is the state of Russia-Ukraine negotiations?

U.S.-backed talks have stalled due to a fresh Russian offensive to seize the remaining parts of eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region. Both sides continue to strike each other, with Ukraine recently destroying several Russian energy infrastructure sites.

On Sunday (May 10), Ukrainian officials said Russian attacks had killed at least three people and nearly 150 clashes occurred on the front line in the past 24 hours, despite a three-day ceasefire. "In other words, the Russian army is not observing any silence on the frontline and is not even trying to," Zelensky said.

Russia accused Ukraine of violating the ceasefire, claiming to have shot down 57 Ukrainian drones over the past day and "responding proportionally" on the battlefield. Control of the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant also remains a point of contention.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said peace in Ukraine was still "very far away," despite Putin's suggestion that the war was "nearing its end."

Does Ukraine and the West trust Schroeder?

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas reacted skeptically to Putin's proposal. "If we give Russia the right to nominate a negotiator on our behalf, that would not be wise," she told reporters on Monday (May 11). "Gerhard Schroeder was a top lobbyist for Russian state-owned companies. It's clear why Putin wants him in that role—to have him sit on both sides of the negotiating table."

Germany rejected Putin's proposal on Sunday (May 10). An anonymous German official said the proposal was not credible because Russia has not changed any of its conditions, emphasizing that any negotiations with the EU must be closely coordinated with member states and Ukraine. The official suggested Putin was making a series of false proposals intended to divide the Western alliance.