Schröder defends friendship with Putin: Kremlin pleased. Former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (SPD) can still imagine that his friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin can contribute to ending the war in Ukraine.
“We have worked together sensibly for many years. Maybe that can still help to find a negotiated solution, I don’t see any other solution,” he said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that good, constructive relationships on a personal level could help solve the problem.