Europe is among the main losers from the war in Ukraine, second only to Kiev in terms of losses. This was stated by former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder after the host of the Swiss publication “Weltvoe“ Roger Köppel asked him if he accepted this assessment.
“This is indeed the case. The termination of energy cooperation, which had lasted for more than 50 years, undoubtedly led to a loss of welfare – not only in Germany, but also in Europe as a whole“, Schröder said.
Schröder urged Germany to stay out of the conflict
In the interview, the former chancellor said that Germany should avoid getting involved in the war between Russia and Ukraine. According to him, Berlin should also refrain from deepening the political conflict with China.
Schröder also said that the Republican Party in the US would traditionally find it easier to take steps towards peace through negotiations than the Democratic Party. According to him, the Democrats are ideologically more firmly opposed to Russia and China.
The interview was recorded in September 2024, but was republished after Schröder met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on the occasion of his birthday. The visit caused a sharp reaction in Germany. Chancellor Friedrich Merz described it as “deeply outrageous”, and the German government said Putin was responsible for the war and the suffering it caused.
The dispute over relations with Russia continues
Gerhard Schröder was Chancellor of Germany from 1998 to 2005. After the end of his term, he took senior positions in Russian energy companies, including the “Nord Stream“ project and “Rosneft“, which has been criticized in Germany for years.
In 2024, Schröder also said that the war could only be ended through negotiations and compromises. He participated as a mediator in the talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul in 2022, but his claims that a peace agreement is close to being achieved remain his political assessment, not an agreed outcome of the negotiations.
Sources: rbc.ru, welt.de, marketscreener.com