Putin Ally Schröder Takes Russian Business Post After Kremlin Floated Him as Ukraine Mediator

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, a longtime associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin whom Moscow has repeatedly promoted as a potential interlocutor with Europe over Ukraine, has joined the supervisory board of a Russian supermarket operator as the Kremlin tightens pressure on European businesses still operating in Russia. Schröder, 82, has been appointed to the supervisory board of Hyperglobus, which operates the Russian Globus supermarket chain, and will help guide the company’s strategic development, according to Russian business outlet RBC. Hyperglobus confirmed the appointment to German media on Friday.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The appointment gives Schröder a new corporate role in Russia months after Putin publicly singled him out as his preferred European interlocutor for negotiations over Ukraine and a future European security order – a suggestion European officials firmly rejected. In May, Putin said that of European political figures, he would personally prefer to deal with Schröder. EU foreign ministers responded that Moscow would not decide who speaks for Europe, while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stressed that the bloc stood with Ukraine and would choose its own representatives. Kyiv Post reported at the time that Berlin was also skeptical of Putin’s proposal, citing Schröder’s longstanding Kremlin ties and his refusal to break decisively with Moscow following Russia’s full-scale invasion. Other Topics of Interest 41 Ukrainians Return From Russian Occupation via Volyn, Including 9 children Among those who returned in August and September were four children, five teenagers, a young medic, and a man held in a basement. The Kremlin’s interest did not end there. Schröder traveled to Moscow again in June, where he was spotted at a central Moscow hotel, and the Kremlin subsequently confirmed that Putin had met with him privately without disclosing what was discussed. The repeated elevation of Schröder as a potential channel to Europe fits a broader Russian effort to cultivate Western politicians and public figures who favor continued dialogue with Moscow. Schröder’s new Russian role lands at a politically charged moment: Moscow is simultaneously arguing for renewed economic engagement through figures close to the Kremlin while taking control of assets belonging to major European companies. ‘Economic ties’ with Russia According to RBC, Schröder said maintaining economic relations with Russia was particularly important during periods of crisis. “It is exactly in these crisis times that these ties are especially important: they allow [us] to hear each other and look for ways forward,” the former chancellor was quoted as saying. He reportedly singled out the food sector as a fundamental field of economic cooperation. Hyperglobus owner Thomas Bruch said Schröder was brought onto the supervisory board because of his extensive experience in Russian political and economic affairs and could help the company maintain what Bruch described as a “dialogue-oriented approach.” The Russian business was separated from Germany’s Globus Holding in 2025 and is now owned by Bruch, the former head of Globus, although its 22 stores across eight Russian regions continue operating under the Globus name. The German parent company says the Russian operation is now legally and operationally independent. Moscow seizes European businesses while Schröder calls for ties Schröder’s appeal for continued economic engagement comes amid an intensifying Kremlin campaign against European corporate assets. Just four days before news of his appointment emerged, Moscow placed the Russian assets of German retailer Metro under temporary state administration. Russia has also moved against assets linked to Auchan and Nestlé as relations with the EU deteriorate further. Reuters reported this week that 135 foreign-affiliated companies, primarily European, have been subjected to similar Russian measures since the full-scale war began. A Russian government source, discussing the widening corporate crackdown, summed up Moscow’s message to European firms with the words: “Let them be scared.” That contrast is striking: while Moscow is confiscating or placing European-owned businesses under state control, one of Putin’s best-connected former Western political allies is urging companies to preserve commercial links with Russia. Schröder’s relationship with Moscow stretches back decades. He served as Germany’s chancellor from 1998 to 2005 and developed a close personal relationship with Putin while in office. After leaving government, he took senior positions connected to Russian state-controlled energy interests and became closely associated with the Nord Stream pipeline project, which deepened Germany’s dependence on Russian gas. His Russian ties became particularly controversial after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Schröder stepped down from the board of Russian oil giant Rosneft that year and declined a proposed Gazprom position, but he did not sever his relationship with Putin. The former chancellor has continued to visit Russia and advocate maintaining channels with Moscow even as Germany and other European states have sought to reduce the economic leverage Russia accumulated during the years when Schröder championed closer energy ties. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. 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