Brussels, May 11—EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has delivered a stinging rebuke to Vladimir Putin's overture to involve former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder in European security negotiations, branding it a 'cynical divide-and-conquer tactic.' The proposal, floated via backchannels last week, aimed to exploit Berlin's past Russia ties amid Ukraine's grinding war.
Schröder, a Putin ally and Gazprom board alum, was pitched as a 'neutral' interlocutor for ceasefires. Kallas, in a fiery Strasbourg speech, retorted: 'We won't legitimize Kremlin puppets while missiles rain on Kyiv.' The rebuff unites the 27-nation bloc, sidelining German hesitancy.
Context: Russia's winter offensive stalled, but energy coercion persists. EU sanctions have slashed Moscow's GDP 8%. Affected: Eastern flank states like Poland cheer; German industry frets over gas.
Forward: Signals no Minsk-style deals. Kallas pushes $50 billion Ukraine aid, eyeing U.S. election flux. Putin's ploy flops, but hybrid threats loom.