EU-Russia: Schröder strikes again

The former German Chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, has again supported Russia and attacked the West over the Georgia crisis. In a speech to a group promoting workers’ welfare, the former Chancellor said that the West had committed “serious mistakes” in its relations with Russia and that these mistakes were seen as “intolerable” in Moscow. He said that Russia had to react to the policy of “encirclement” being pursued by the West, with encroachments in the Caucasus and Europe (where the new anti-missile shield is being stationed). He conceded that Russia’s reaction may have been exaggerated but that “it depends who started it”. He said that the recognition of Kosovo was a mistake (even though he was Chancellor when NATO, including Germany, attacked Yugoslavia over Kosovo) and that he hoped for “more cooperation” after the US Presidential elections in November. He said that the Social Democratic Party could be proud of the efforts of the current Foreign Minister of Germany, Frank Walter Steinmeier, who has indeed pursued a very Schröderian line. His speech was roundly attacked by members of the Christian Democratic Party, one of whom accused him of aligning his foreign policy positions according to his personal interests. Schröder, indeed, is head of the consortium building the trans-Baltic pipeline which will transport Russian gas directly to Germany. [Die Welt, 1 September 2008]

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