Karl Lauterbach, SPD Health Minister, has advised Gerhard Schröder to resign from the SPD due to his close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Lauterbach wrote on Friday evening on the X platform (formerly Twitter) that he once valued Schröder very much – he had the courage to tackle reforms, even if not everything was right. “Unfortunately we have to be ashamed of him today. This no longer has anything to do with the SPD. As a “friend” of Putin, he should simply resign from us,” wrote Lauterbach.
Schröder maintains his friendship with Putin
The minister was referring to an interview with Schröder by the German Press Agency. In it, the former Chancellor made it clear that he is sticking to his friendship with Putin more than two years after the Russian attack against Ukraine. Schröder justified this by saying that his good connections with the Kremlin could perhaps help end the war in Ukraine. “We have worked together sensibly for many years. Maybe that can still help to find a negotiated solution, I don’t see any other solution,” said Schröder.