Former Chancellor Schröder is in Moscow - but why? Compared to ntv he speaks of vacation. But his wife cites "talks about energy policy" as the reason. The Kremlin does not want to rule out "contact" between Schröder and Putin.
After ntv correspondent Dirk Emmerich met former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder in Moscow, the Kremlin has now officially confirmed that Schröder is in the Russian capital Moscow. According to the Russian news agency Interfax, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov did not rule out that Schröder could also get in touch with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two politicians have been friends for many years.
"As far as we know, yes, he is actually in Moscow," said Peskow, according to reports that the SPD politician was in the capital. "There are no meetings as such, but we do not rule out contact," said the Kremlin spokesman. Recently there have been "less active" contacts between Putin and Schröder.
On Monday, ntv correspondent Emmerich reported on Schröder's stay in Moscow. When asked if he was meeting Putin, the former chancellor replied: "I'm going on holiday here for a few days. Moscow is a beautiful city." When it was pointed out that the headquarters of the Russian oil company Rosneft was not far away, Schröder replied: "Is that so? Oh yes, that's right, you're right."
Schröder's wife, Soyeon Schröder-Kim, confirmed to "Spiegel" that her husband is currently in Moscow. However, he is not on vacation, as he had told ntv, but is "holding talks about energy policy in Moscow".
As the "Spiegel" learned from another source, Schröder arrived in Moscow on Sunday and is leaving again this Tuesday. Entry was via Baku. According to reports, the core of the talks will be gas deliveries through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. It is unclear who the former Chancellor is holding the talks with.
Schröder and Putin jointly launched the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline project in 2005. The most important supply line for Germany is now being filled less and less with gas by the Russian side as part of the sanctions in the Ukraine war. Putin has been criticized for using the gas pipeline as a geopolitical weapon, while Schröder has always defended it as a purely economic project.
Schröder has long been criticized for his closeness to Putin and the Russian oil and gas industry. Even after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, many comrades in his party are of the opinion that Schröder has not sufficiently distanced himself from Russia.
In the first week of August, the arbitration commission of the SPD sub-district Region Hannover wants to decide on a possible party expulsion. However, the legal hurdles for a party penalty or even an exclusion are very high.
