German media published photos of former chancellor Gerhard Schröder, who refuses to renounce his friendship and business ties with Vladimir Putin, from a reception at the Russian embassy in Berlin where he was an honored guest.
Schroeder and his wife, So-jeon Schroeder Kim, reportedly attended Tuesday's event along with Egon Krenz, 86, the last communist leader of East Germany (GDR). After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Krenz was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for the crimes of the communist regime, including the murders of people who tried to escape from the GDR, "The Guardian" reminds.
Other guests included the leaders of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and high-ranking members of the far-left party "Ljevica". According to German media, guests were served champagne and caviar.
Photos of Schröder and other guests at the embassy - at the reception on the occasion of Victory Day, were leaked to the tabloid "Bild". The newspaper's veteran columnist Franz Josef Wagner angrily commented on Schröder's presence. "Our former chancellor eats caviar while Putin slaughters people, kidnaps children, allows the rape of women. Any sane person could smell death in the embassy. Gerhard Schroeder has lost his sense of smell," he wrote.
Schroeder Kim confirmed to the magazine "Spiegel" that she attended the event with her husband and said that she was "appalled" that it could be met with contempt.
"The Guardian" recalls that Schroeder was isolated by his party, the Social Democrats, because of his refusal to condemn Putin's invasion of Ukraine and because of his long-term ties to the Russian gas industry.
However, attempts to expel him from the party failed.
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