Schroeder attends Putin’s birthday celebration, drawing criticism in Germany

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder attended Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 74th birthday celebration at Putin’s home in Moscow.

The Kremlin said Putin invited Schroeder, who was in the Russian capital on business.

Schroeder was chancellor of Germany from 1998 to 2005 and has kept close ties with Putin and Russian businesses since leaving office.

Those ties have drawn criticism, especially since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the visit deeply outrageous and said it was immoral given the suffering caused by the war.

A co-leader of Schroeder’s Social Democratic Party also called the visit unacceptable.

Putin has previously suggested Schroeder could help with talks on European security, but the European Union and Merz’s government rejected that idea.