Merz Slams Schröder for Visiting Putin and Celebrating His Birthday
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has sharply criticised former chancellor Gerhard Schröder for visiting Russian leader Vladimir Putin and celebrating the latter's birthday. Merz called the conduct "absolutely immoral".
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has sharply criticised his predecessor Gerhard Schröder over a visit to Russian leader Vladimir Putin and the celebration of Putin's birthday. The report was published on 9 October by the Ukrainian outlet Ukrainska Pravda.
Merz, who currently heads the German government, described Schröder's actions as "absolutely immoral". Schröder is a former German chancellor who has kept ties with the Russian leadership since leaving office.
The source gives no further details about the visit, such as where it took place or how Schröder has explained it. It also does not say whether Merz spoke in an official statement or in an interview.
The sitting chancellor's condemnation of a former chancellor's contacts with Putin points to a sharp stance within the German government toward such visits.
