Kathrine Frich
Gerhard Schroeder led Germany as chancellor from 1998 to 2005.
Friendships often fade when circumstances change drastically and public opinion shifts.
But some personal bonds survive even the most intense international pressure and severe political isolation.
A highly controversial reunion just took place behind closed doors in a major global capital.
A birthday invitation
The Kremlin announced on Thursday that a highly controversial guest visited Vladimir Putin at his private residence. The Russian leader was officially celebrating his 74th birthday on Wednesday.
The gathering was completely spontaneous. According to reports from the Romanian news outlet Digi24 and the French agency AFP, officials claimed the Russian leader had no idea his former political peer was visiting the city.
The Kremlin stated on the Telegram messaging app that “this morning, Vladimir Putin learned from the press that Gerhard Schroeder was in Moscow on business. The president invited his old friend to join him”.
Official photographs published by the Russian government showed the two men smiling broadly and shaking hands.
Deeply unpopular ties
Gerhard Schroeder led Germany as chancellor from 1998 to 2005. Today, his enduring loyalty to the Russian president creates massive frustration back in his home country.
Germany currently stands as one of the fiercest financial and military backers of Ukraine. Meanwhile, the former chancellor continues to build his corporate portfolio in Moscow.
Russian media recently reported that Schroeder secured a new corporate role. He now sits on the supervisory board of Hyperglobus, a Russian supermarket chain that once belonged to a German retail group.
His previous work for the Russian state energy giant Gazprom already ruined his reputation at home. Following massive public outrage, German authorities eventually stripped Schroeder of his official state privileges over his absolute refusal to distance himself from Moscow.
Pushing a mediator
Despite the fierce European backlash, Putin clearly values his German ally. The Russian leader even tried to elevate Schroeder’s diplomatic status significantly earlier this year.
In May, Putin suggested that European leaders should accept Schroeder as an official mediator to help resolve the ongoing military conflict. The 27 member states of the European Union instantly rejected that proposal, according to Agerpres and Digi24.
Now, this latest birthday visit only highlights the staggering political gap between the former chancellor and his native country. While Berlin stands firmly against Russian aggression, Schroeder seems perfectly happy to celebrate alongside his old friend.
