Unrepentant Schroeder exposes German coalition rift over Ukraine

FILE PHOTO: Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Russian President Vladimir Putin are depicted in this graffiti exchanging a kiss at the East Side Gallery in Berlin, Germany April 2, 2022. Slogan reads in German and Russian "Dear God, help me to survive this love". Picture taken during a campaign of artists April 2, 2022. REUTERS/Anne Barth

BERLIN (Reuters) - The co-leader of Germany's Social Democrats called on former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to quit the party after he defended his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, exposing a rift at the heart of government in Berlin over the Ukraine crisis.

Schroeder has refused, despite Russia's invasion of Ukraine, to step down from the posts with Russian energy companies from which he has earned millions of euros since leaving office in 2004.