Great outrage over former Chancellor Schröder's visit to Putin

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrated his 74th birthday - and he also invited an "old friend," as the Kremlin announced: former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. His visit provoked sharp criticism in Germany.

Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz was also “deeply outraged” by the meeting, said government spokesman Steffen Meyer on behalf of the CDU leader. Meyer emphasized that “Putin alone” is responsible for the ongoing war against Ukraine. His orders caused "immeasurable suffering, civilian casualties, families torn apart, dead and wounded" on a daily basis.

And Russia shows no interest in ending this “bestial war,” Meyer continued. Against this background, Schröder's trip to Putin should be viewed as "downright immoral." According to Ukrainian figures, almost 80 people have died in Russian attacks in the past two days alone.

The Foreign Office and the Federal Ministry of the Interior emphasized that they had not been informed in advance about the former Chancellor's trip and that the German embassy on site had not provided any assistance.

“Shame”, “treason”, “disservice to peace”

In addition to the Chancellor, CDU General Secretary Franziska Hoppermann also condemned Schröder's visit on the short message service X with the words "champagne, caviar and bombs." While Schröder celebrated with Putin, children in Ukraine died from Russian attacks, she wrote.

There was also sharp criticism from other parties. The Green Party politician Katrin Göring-Eckardt and the FDP defense politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann described the trip to Moscow as a “disgrace”. This is also “a betrayal of Europe” and a “disservice to peace,” wrote Göring-Eckardt. Strack-Zimmermann described the former chancellor as “Germany’s cheekiest pensioner.” Schröder is "too sick" for investigative committees, but it's enough for "well-paid mandates in Russia and a birthday party" with Putin.

The leader of the Left Party, Heidi Reichinnek, accused Schröder of "political and moral spinelessness." As the former chancellor in particular, he has a special responsibility, she told the Tagesspiegel.

Stegner defends visit

The SPD foreign politician and member of the Bundestag Ralf Stegner defended Schröder's visit. Schröder is no longer a politician; he traveled to Russia as a private person. "We shouldn't be exorcising devils in Germany when a former chancellor travels to Moscow," warned Stegner in an interview with the news portal t-online. And his visit could possibly even be useful in bringing a ceasefire in Ukraine closer. He couldn't see anything wrong with that.