Gerhard Schroeder stripped of privileges for failing to resign from Rosneft

In the same week, a draft resolution Presented by the four largest parties in the European Parliament, the EU legislature, “strongly demands” that Schroeder resign from Rosneft. It explicitly asks the former German leader to follow in the footsteps of many other European politicians who have left Russian companies in light of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Ex-adviser and friend of Putin at the center of the Russian conflict in Germany

Marcus Ferber, one of the drafters of the resolution and a center-right member of the European Parliament, said: Reuters That a senior position in a major state-controlled corporation meant that Schroeder was “de facto cooperating closely with Russia”.

He added that his proposal was also intended to dissuade Schroeder from taking a position on the board of Gazprom, another major Russian energy company. Ferber has also called for Schroeder added to EU sanctions list and former German leader’s assets frozen

Schroeder could not be reached for comment.

The 77-year-old former chancellor has become the personification of the deep energy ties between Germany and Russia — a relationship that Berlin is now trying to curtail. Schroeder was instrumental in facilitating nord stream 2 dealIt is an $11 billion natural gas pipeline that connects Russian fields directly to Germany. It was a sticking point for Berlin until the current chancellor, Olaf Schulzsuspended ratification of the project two days before the start of the war in Ukraine.

In March, Schultz, who is in the same party as Schroeder, He told local media Cutting ties with Russian companies is the right course of action. Schulz said Schroeder’s commitments to Germany did not end when he left office.

Public anger directed at the former chancellor has increased since February 24, the day Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the start of his invasion. Schroeder has chosen not to distance himself from the Kremlin leader even as the Russian military faces international condemnation for it. atrocities committed against The civilian population of Ukraine.

at recent days Interview With the New York Times, Schroeder called Putin’s war a mistake and said the killing of Ukrainian civilians in Bucha should be investigated. But he refused to repudiate his friendship with Putin and said that the bloodshed in Bucha was not ordered by the Russian president.

Loveday Morris in Berlin contributed to this report.