EU FOREIGN POLICY chief Kaja Kallas has pushed back on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal for ex-German leader Gerhard Schroeder to mediate with Europe on the war in Ukraine.

“If we give the right to Russia to appoint a negotiator on our behalf, that would not be very wise,” Kallas told reporters ahead of foreign ministers’ talks in Brussels, which Minister Helen McEntee will attend.

Kallas added: “Gerhard Schroeder has been a high-level lobbyist for Russian state-owned companies.

“So it’s clear why Putin wants him to be the person so that actually, he would be sitting on both sides of the table,” she said.

Asked on Saturday whom he would like to help restart talks with Europe, Putin said he would “personally” prefer Schroeder, who led Germany from 1998 to 2005.

The former chancellor has remained close to the Kremlin leader long after leaving office, standing apart from most Western leaders since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

The 82-year-old previously held key roles in Russian energy projects, including work on the Nord Stream gas pipelines and a seat on the board of Russian oil firm Rosneft, which he gave up in 2022.

On the broader question of speaking directly with Putin, Kallas reiterated that the European Union’s member countries should first seek to align objectives from any such talks, and would seek to do so during informal foreign ministers’ talks later this month.

“Before we discuss with Russia, we should discuss amongst ourselves what we want to talk to them about,” Kallas said.

Berlin has likewise reacted sceptically to Putin’s Schroeder proposal, with government sources saying they viewed it as part of “a series of bogus offers” from Russia.

Schroeder’s stance has made him a controversial figure at home. He has never publicly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, costing him several privileges normally granted to former chancellors.

EU Foreign Affairs Council

Foreign ministers will discuss a range of issues later in Brussels, including the situation in the Middle East and Russian aggression against Ukraine.

The Foreign Minister of Ukraine is expected to join discussions on Ukraine and ministers will also have an informal exchange with the Foreign Minister of Canada, Anita Anand.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Helen McEntee said it is “high time the EU takes concrete action in response to the appalling situation in Gaza, as well as the continued expansion of settlement activity and settler violence in the West Bank”.

McEntee added that she will call for “concrete EU measures, including action to ban trade with illegal settlements and the suspension of the trade elements of the EU-Israel Association Agreement”.

She will also call for the EU to “put its collective weight behind Lebanon’s humanitarian needs and recovery”.

Elsewhere, McEntee said it is essential that the EU maintains its support for Ukraine and “keep pressure on Russia”.

“We must move quickly to disburse the €90 billion Ukraine Support loan and advance work on the next round of sanctions,” she added.

“Later today, I will discuss the return of Ukrainian children abducted during Russia’s war,” said McEntee.

“No child ever voted for this war and yet children often suffer the most. This is a question of accountability for Russia’s crimes.”

McEntee also said she looks forward to meeting with Canada’s foreign affairs minister and discussing “how we can further strengthen cooperation with this key trans-Atlantic partner”.

-© AFP 2026 and with additional reporting from Diarmuid Pepper