Gerhard Schröder, the ex-Chancellor of Germany, who has refused to leave high posts in Russian energy companies amid the war in Ukraine, has been asked to leave the German Social Democratic Party (SPD). The leader of latter has been reluctant to provide the military aid Ukraine has called for, British news portal The Guardian reports.
Schröder, who was Germany’s head of government from 1998 to 2005, heads the board of the Russian oil company Rosneft and is chairman of the shareholder committee of natural gas pipeline company Nord Stream.
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Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the end of February, the SPD leadership had sent Schröder a letter asking him to resign from his posts at the Russian state-owned companies. Reportedly, it went unanswered.
Interviewed by the New York Times, the politician-turned-lobbyst said: «I don’t do mea culpa. It’s not my thing.» The Social Democrat suggested he would resign from his board seats only if Russia chose to turn off gas deliveries to Germany, something he claimed «won’t happen», The Guardian reports.
German ex-Chancellor – Rosneft businessman – asked to leave ruling social-democrats
