Beijing, 11 Mar (Xinhua) -- The US media reported on 10 March that former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder was entrusted by the Ukrainian government to go to Moscow, the capital of Russia, to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the situation in Russia and Ukraine.
Schroeder's wife posted a photo on social media that night: she stood at the window, her hands clasped to her chest, her eyes closed and her head bowed in prayer, and the Kremlin was visible outside the window.
The US "Politics" website reported from several people familiar with the situation that Schroeder's talks with Putin ended on the evening of the 10th, and the details of the talks were not clear.
This is the Kremlin and St. Basil's Church photographed in the Russian capital Moscow on January 26. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Bai Xueqi
On the eve of the start of the informal meeting of European Union leaders at the Palace of Versailles in France, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in response to a reporter's question that he would not talk about Schroeder's visit to Russia.
Both The German news agency and German government sources on the website of The Political Newspaper said that Schroeder's government was unaware of Schroeder's visit.
Ukraine's ambassador to Germany Andrei Melinik told the German newspaper Bild a week ago that Schroeder should mediate between Ukraine and Russia because he was "one of the few people in Germany who has direct ties to Putin."
According to The Poitsa, Schroeder went to Moscow at the request of the Ukrainian government. Melinik told DSA that he was unaware of the Ukrainian government's move. "It's hard for me to imagine the mainland government asking Schroeder to do this."
In a village in Donetsk on 10 March, local residents receive aid. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Victor)
Since Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, Russia and Ukraine have held three rounds of talks, but the positions of the two sides are still very different, and no agreement has been reached on a ceasefire and a halt to the war.
According to the "Political Daily", the Ukrainian side spoke to Schroeder through the Swiss Jung Group on the 4th: the Ukrainian government hopes that he will mediate. Schroeder was a consultant to the publisher.
On the 7th, Schroeder and his wife flew to the Turkish city of Istanbul, where they met with Rustem Umerov, one of the Ukrainian representatives of the Russian-Ukrainian talks.
A Ukrainian diplomat confirmed that the office of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy coordinated Umerov's meeting with Schroeder. Umerov told Schroeder that the goal of the Ukrainian side is to at least achieve a ceasefire. He also briefed Schroeder on whether Ukraine wants to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the status of Crimea, and the future of the Donbass region.
Schroeder then contacted people close to Putin, and ten minutes later received a reply, Putin was willing to meet with him, and the Russian side sent a plane from Istanbul to Moscow on the 9th.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, welcomes visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Chancellery in Berlin, on September 8, 2005. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wu Xiaoling
Schroeder was Chancellor of Germany from 1998 to 2005. After stepping down as prime minister, he held senior positions in Russian oil and gas companies.
Schroeder commented on a social network LinkedIn on February 24 calling on Russia to halt military action, while stressing that even if sanctions are necessary, Europe should not be cut off from Russia in multiple areas. (Guo Qian)