“No, we don’t support it. We definitely don’t support this candidate,” Sybiha told reporters at a meeting with EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
On May 9, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin stated that former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder would be suitable as EU negotiator with Russia.
On May 10, Reuters reported that Berlin rejected Putin's proposal regarding Schröder.
On May 11, European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas rejected Putin’s proposal to appoint Schröder, calling the ex-chancellor “a high-level lobbyist for Russian state-owned companies.”
She announced that the EU plans to discuss negotiations with Russia during the May 27-28 summit in Cyprus.
Gerhard Schröder was chancellor from 1998 to 2005 and leader of the SPD party from 1999 to 2004. After being removed from the post of head of government, he worked for many years in Russian energy companies and is still considered a friend of Putin.