Putin pitches Schroeder as Ukraine mediator, drawing Berlin skepticism

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would personally prefer former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder as a mediator in the Ukraine war, a proposal Berlin greeted with caution as Schroeder's Kremlin ties and past energy roles fuel controversy within Germany’s ruling parties; while some SPD members call for open consideration, others warn that a mediator must be accepted by Kyiv and European partners.