Frankfurt (Germany), 11 May (LaPresse) – "As you know, a mediator must be accepted by both sides. And that is precisely what seems to be lacking in this case. Former Chancellor Schroeder has certainly not done everything in his power in the past to present himself as a neutral mediator, as an “impartial intermediary”, so to speak. He has been, and has certainly allowed himself to be heavily influenced by, Mr Putin." This was stated by the German Minister of State for Europe, Gunther Kirchbaum, on his arrival at the EU Foreign Affairs Council, regarding the possible role of mediator for the former German Chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, in the European negotiations on Ukraine, as suggested by Russian President Vladimir Putin. ‘Close friendships may be legitimate anywhere in the world, but they do not help one to be perceived as an impartial mediator,’ said Kirchbaum, emphasising that ‘the important thing is, first and foremost, that a negotiating partner, a mediator, must be acceptable to both sides’.
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