Russia has no right to appoint EU negotiator – Kallas

11.05.2026 09:40

Ukrinform

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder is a well-known lobbyist for Russian companies, so it is not surprising that Vladimir Putin would like him to serve as the European Union’s negotiator.

This was stated by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas before the start of the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“If we give the right to Russia to appoint a negotiator on our behalf, that would not be very wise,” Kallas said.

She recalled that former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, whom the Kremlin had earlier suggested as a potential negotiator for the EU side, had long served as “a high-level lobbyist for Russian state-owned companies.”

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

As previously reported by Ukrinform, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha is set to visit Brussels on Monday, May 11, where he will take part in EU- and NATO-related events, as well as a ministerial meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children.

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