The German government today rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to involve former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder as a mediator in a possible effort to end the war in Ukraine.

“Russia knows who the responsible actors in Europe are,” said government spokesperson Steffen Cornelius, stressing that there is a clearly defined mediation framework in place. He added that if Russia is seriously considering negotiations, the relevant European figures are already known, and assured that the German government will continue to participate in mediation efforts in any case.

Referring to the European dimension, the spokesperson emphasized that Europe is claiming a role in any potential peace process, and it is up to Russia to accept its participation. “The conditions for a ceasefire have been publicly and sufficiently outlined, and the government now expects substantive signals from Moscow that it is willing to negotiate on the basis of these facts, which have been known for weeks,” Cornelius said.

On the political side, the Greens and The Left rejected Putin’s proposal or expressed serious reservations. Within the Social Democratic Party (SPD), from which Gerhard Schröder comes, reactions were mixed: foreign policy expert Ralf Stegner welcomed “any initiative that could end the war,” while SPD parliamentary group foreign policy spokesperson Adis Ahmetović stressed the need to assess “any offer seriously in terms of its credibility.” He added that “we cannot accept that the US and Russia decide alone about the future of Ukraine and European security,” underlining the priority of European participation in negotiations.

“If Schröder’s participation is a precondition for this, it should be carefully examined in close consultation with our European partners and not categorically ruled out in advance,” Ahmetović said. Meanwhile, former SPD foreign affairs committee chair Michael Roth called the proposal “an insult to the United States and a clear manoeuvre” by Russia, stating that “anyone who seriously wants peace starts with a ceasefire, and a mediator cannot be a friend of Putin.”

The Greens firmly rejected the idea. “The aggressor is Putin, and he could end the war at any time. His proposal regarding Gerhard Schröder is absurd,” said parliamentary group leader Britta Haßelmann, adding that Schröder lacks credibility in Europe due to his ties with the Russian president.

In contrast, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) expressed openness to the idea, saying that “any mediation that contributes to ending the deaths on both sides is welcome,” including possible efforts by the former chancellor.

A spokesperson for Schröder himself told the German news agency dpa that the former chancellor would not comment on the matter.