European officials and Ukraine have rejected the idea of former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder acting as a potential negotiator on behalf of the European Union, after reports that he was proposed by Moscow for such a role.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers that it would be “not very wise” to allow Russia to choose a representative for European negotiations. She noted that Schröder is widely known for his lobbying work for Russian state companies.
“If we give Russia the right to appoint the negotiator on our behalf, it would not be very smart,” Kallas said, adding that Schröder had for a long time acted as a “high-ranking lobbyist for Russian state companies.”
She suggested that Russia’s preference for him as a mediator was telling, saying it would allow him to “sit on both sides of the negotiating table.”
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also dismissed the proposal, stating that Kyiv does not support Schröder’s candidacy as a mediator.
“We definitely do not support such a candidate,” Sybiha said ahead of the same EU foreign affairs meeting, adding that there are “many other worthy leaders” who could take on the role.
