Schröder joins Putin for 74th birthday in Moscow, prompting German political backlash
Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder travelled to Moscow on 7 October for business related to the German supermarket chain Globus and was invited by Vladimir Putin to celebrate his 74th birthday at the Kremlin leader's residence. The meeting, documented in photos published on Kremlin-affiliated channels, drew sharp criticism from German politicians across the Greens, FDP and CDU, while a member of Schröder's own SPD defended the trip as potentially useful for ceasefire efforts.
Key points
- Putin turned 74 on Wednesday, 7 October, and celebrated with former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder.
- Schröder, 82, travelled to Moscow for matters related to the German supermarket chain Globus; the Kremlin said Putin learned of his presence from media reports and then invited him to his home.
- Schröder became a member of the supervisory board of Hyperglobus, the Russian subsidiary of German holding Globus Holding GmbH & Co.
- Bundestag Vice President Katrin Göring-Eckardt (Greens) called the visit a "shame for Germany," a "betrayal of Europe," and a "disservice to peace."
- Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP), chair of the European Parliament's Committee on Security and Defence, called Schröder "Germany's most brazen pensioner."
- MEP Dennis Radtke (CDU) mocked Schröder as "healthy enough for Moscow, Putin, and a fresh batch of rubles."
- SPD member Rainer Stegner defended the visit, saying that if it brought the ceasefire even a millimeter closer, he saw nothing wrong with it.
Why it matters
The episode underscores that a former Western head of government continues to maintain close personal ties with the Kremlin leadership during an ongoing war. It coincided with Schröder taking a new corporate role at the Russian subsidiary of a German retail chain, deepening his Russian business footprint. The backlash also reignited German political debate over Schröder's longstanding pro-Kremlin stance and his suitability for any mediating role.
What happened
On 7 October, Vladimir Putin marked his 74th birthday in the company of former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, according to photos released by the Kremlin on its official Telegram channels and on the Max platform. The pictures showed Putin and Schröder together in front of a traditional Russian stove (pech) decorated with horse figurines, with a samovar and valenki nearby; the images did not appear on Putin's official website.
Schröder, who is 82, had travelled to Moscow for matters connected to the German supermarket chain Globus. The Kremlin said Putin learned of Schröder's presence in the Russian capital from media reports and then invited his longtime acquaintance to his home. In parallel, Schröder took on a role as a member of the supervisory board of Hyperglobus, the Russian subsidiary of the German holding Globus Holding GmbH & Co, which operates a network of food hypermarkets in Russia.
The visit triggered a sharp political reaction in Germany. Bundestag Vice President Katrin Göring-Eckardt of the Greens called it a "shame for Germany," a "betrayal of Europe," and a "disservice to peace." Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann of the FDP, who chairs the European Parliament's Committee on Security and Defence, called Schröder "Germany's most brazen pensioner" and pointed out that he had previously refused to testify to a parliamentary investigative committee citing health issues, including burnout syndrome, yet was able to travel to Moscow for Putin's birthday. CDU MEP Dennis Radtke mocked him as "healthy enough for Moscow, Putin, and a fresh batch of rubles." SPD member Rainer Stegner took a different line, defending the visit and suggesting Schröder could be considered as a mediator in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, saying that if the trip brought the ceasefire even a millimeter closer, he saw nothing wrong with it.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian sources lead with Putin's birthday and Schröder's presence alongside him, foregrounding the personal Kremlin tie rather than the Globus business angle. They heavily cite German critics calling Schröder's behaviour a betrayal of Europe, using that European criticism to underscore the controversy surrounding a former Western leader's continued closeness to the Kremlin during the war.
Where reporting differs
Sources frame Schröder's presence in Moscow in two related ways. The Kremlin account, echoed across the reporting, holds that Putin learned of Schröder's arrival from media reports and then personally invited him to his home, while coverage also stresses Schröder's pre-existing Globus business purpose for being in Moscow — leaving it open whether the invitation or the business trip came first.
German political reaction was sharply divided. Politicians from the Greens, FDP and CDU attacked the Moscow visit as a betrayal of Europe and a disservice to peace, with Strack-Zimmermann highlighting that Schröder had previously cited burnout syndrome and other health issues to avoid testifying before a parliamentary committee. Within Schröder's own SPD, however, Rainer Stegner defended the trip and floated Schröder as a possible mediator, saying he saw nothing wrong with the visit if it brought the ceasefire even a millimeter closer.
Background
Gerhard Schröder served as German Chancellor from 1998 to 2005 and as leader of the SPD from 1999 to 2004. After leaving office he worked for years for Russian energy companies including Rosneft and Nord Stream, and has not distanced himself from the Kremlin since the start of the full-scale war. In January 2026 he publicly called for restoring energy cooperation with Russia and against demonising Russia despite its aggression against Ukraine. In May, Putin proposed making Schröder a European intermediary in negotiations to end the war; Ukraine, Berlin and Brussels rejected the idea. Putin's birthday fell on Wednesday, 7 October, the same day Schröder was in Moscow.