Germany’s former Chancellor Schröder calls Crimea part of Russian history

Berliner Zeitung reported the information.

Schröder accuses European leaders of failing to resolve the war in Ukraine. Instead, the German ex-Chancellor is promoting the narrative that Ukraine abandoning NATO membership aspirations could have stopped the war.

"There are five points. First: Ukraine's rejection of NATO membership. Ukraine cannot fulfill the conditions anyway. Second: the language issue. The Ukrainian parliament has abolished bilingualism. This needs to be changed. Third: Donbas remains part of Ukraine. But it needs more autonomy. Fourth: Ukraine also needs security guarantees. The UN Security Council and Germany should provide these guarantees," Gerhard Schröder said.

The German ex-Chancellor also spoke about Crimea. He called it a part of Russian history.

"Fifth: Crimea. How long has Crimea been Russian? For Russia, Crimea is not just a region, but a part of its history. The war could have been ended if geopolitical interests had not been at play," Gerhard Schröder said.

Background. Gerhard Schröder is a German politician who served as the Chancellor of Germany from 1998 to 2005. He was a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). After leaving office, Schröder pursued various roles in the business world, including becoming a board member of several companies and establishing ties with Russian businesses, particularly in the energy sector. Moreover, Gerhard Schröder has maintained his ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which has drawn widespread criticism.

• In 2022, Schröder said that the idea of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to return Crimea by military means made no sense.