Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has paid a working visit to the Russian capital, during which he met with retail management and personally attended a private celebration for Russian President Vladimir Putin's birthday. According to official information released by the Kremlin press service, the Russian leader celebrated his 74th birthday surrounded by invited guests, among whom was the former German politician who has maintained long-standing personal ties with Moscow.
Background and Details of the Moscow Visit
The official purpose of Gerhard Schroeder's trip to Moscow was to hold working meetings with employees and management of the Globus retail chain. It is known that the former head of the German government joined the supervisory board of Hyperglobus, the Russian subsidiary of the major German holding company Globus Holding GmbH & Co, which operates a network of hypermarkets in the country.
Kremlin Reaction and Controversy Over the New Role
Kremlin representatives told reporters that the head of state learned about Schroeder's arrival in Moscow from mass media reports. Afterwards, the president allegedly personally invited his old acquaintance to his home. On the eve, October 8, the Kremlin press service officially published joint photographs of Putin and Schroeder taken during the birthday celebration.
In Germany itself, Schroeder's employment in the Russian sector and his visit to Moscow drew an extremely negative reaction from the political establishment. Critics characterized his actions as a "betrayal of Europe," given his past high state office and long-term involvement in projects involving Russian energy and commercial structures.
Contradictory Data
Despite official Kremlin statements that the meeting occurred spontaneously after media reports about the ex-chancellor's arrival emerged, experts and independent sources are actively discussing questions regarding the possible preliminary preparation of this visit. Furthermore, assessments of the public and political significance of this event in European and Russian media are diametrically opposed: while the Russian side presents the visit as a demonstration of enduring personal friendship, Germany emphasizes the toxicity of such contacts against the backdrop of the current geopolitical situation.
International Context and Diplomatic Assessments
Against the backdrop of Schroeder's visit to Russia, other diplomatic developments concerning international settlement continue to unfold. In particular, reports are emerging about possible new visits by American representatives, including Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, to Moscow for contacts with the Russian leadership.
