Putin's apologist? Germany's Schroeder says they're just friends


  • World
  • Thursday, 27 Mar 2014

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder delivers his speech as he supports Social Democratic top candidate Peer Steinbrueck (SPD) (not pictured) during an election campaign in Hanover, August 21, 2013. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer

BERLIN (Reuters) - Former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has come under fire in Germany for defending his close friend Vladimir Putin and warning of the perils of isolating the Russian president over the crisis in Ukraine.

Schroeder, 69, has been excoriated for speaking out in favour of Moscow and against the German government position, not least because of his 250,000 euro salary as board chairman for a pipeline joint venture with Russian gas monopoly Gazprom.

Limited time offer:
Just RM5 per month.

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month
RM5/month

Billed as RM5/month for the 1st 6 months then RM13.90 thereafters.

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month

Billed as RM148.00/year

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In World

Fragile pope back on the road with day trip to Venice
Haiti transitional government to vote for president on Tuesday
17th "Chinese Bridge" language competition held in Bulgaria
Portugal's government rejects paying reparations for colonial, slavery legacy
Iraq criminalises same-sex relationships with maximum 15 years in prison
Zelenskiy says Russia targeted gas facilities that secure EU supply
Chile's President Boric declares national mourning period after 3 police officers killed
Rocked by spy scandal, Germany's far-right reprises old themes at campaign launch
1st LD Writethru: 6.5-magnitude earthquake hits off western Indonesia, no tsunami alert issued
Botswana intensifies marketing strategies to attract more Chinese tourists

Others Also Read