Berliner Zeitung: Former German Chancellor Schroeder Attends Reception at Russian Embassy on Victory Day
Vladimir Putin and G. Schroeder at SPIEF, 2012
Berliner Zeitung writes that former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder visited the Russian ambassador in Berlin on 9. accepting an invitation at the reception on the occasion of Victory Day. The politician was reportedly accompanied by husband Kim So-yeon. The reception was also attended by Tino Khrupalla, co-chairman of the right-wing Alternative for Germany party, and a number of other politicians.
Khrupalla later confirmed to the local press that he had indeed attended the reception because he believes that “dialogue should not be interrupted during crisis” time”. Former Left Party leader Klaus Ernst said he attended the reception despite Russia's special operation in Ukraine because “Russia played a decisive role in the defeat of fascism”. The Berliner Zeitung notes that Ernst, who chairs the Bundestag's climate and energy committee, recently called for the lifting of anti-Russian sanctions.
Khrupalla said that representatives of all parliamentary factions had been invited, but the Berliner Zeitung notes that the leaders of the SPD and the FDP were not invited. The federal government declined to comment on the attendance of a number of politicians at the reception, saying, as spokesman Steffen Hebestrait noted, it made no sense.
Schröder did not respond to Berliner Zeitung's request for comment. .