KYIV. UkraineGate , 12 , June , 2022 | World News.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has criticized former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder for his business ties with Russia.
Details
Much of what Schroeder did during his tenure as chancellor has been overshadowed by his behavior since then, Steinmeier told Sunday’s Bild.
“Gerhard Schroeder’s involvement in Russian energy companies has left questions hanging over our country, especially with our Eastern European neighbors,” Steinmeier said.
In the past, Steinmeier worked closely with Schroeder. Steinmeier was head of Schroeder’s office from 1999 to 2005. Both are considered architects of Germany’s pro-Russian stance, which changed at the beginning of the war.
“We have been on the same path together for 15 years, but 17 years since I went on my political path without him. During this time, Gerhard Schroeder made personal decisions that separated us,” Steinmeier added.
Context
Schroeder has been criticized in Germany for many years for his positions in Russian state-owned companies and his close ties to Putin.
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, pressure on Schroeder increased.
Steinmeier has also recently been criticized for his policies toward Russia over the past two decades. He eventually admitted some mistakes in his assessment of Putin.
Schroeder recently resigned as a member of the supervisory board of Russia’s energy company Rosneft and rejected an offer to join Gazprom’s board of directors.
Schroeder also holds leading positions in the Nord Stream and Nord Stream-2 gas pipelines.
Let’s add
In May, a committee of the German parliament on the budget decided to strip Schroeder of several privileges he had enjoyed as former German chancellor, including a post in the Bundestag.
Source: Ukrgate
