Unexpected Guest Joins Putin's Birthday Celebration

An unexpected guest joined Russian President Vladimir Putin to celebrate his seventy-fourth birthday at the presidential residence.

The Kremlin said on Thursday that former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder participated in the celebration of President Putin's fourth [sic] birthday.

Photos published on the Telegram app showed Schroeder and Putin smiling broadly and shaking hands.

The Kremlin stated via the Telegram app, "Vladimir Putin learned from the morning news bulletin the day before that Gerhard Schroeder was in Moscow on a business trip for Lobo's company."

It added, "The president invited his old friend to his home. Gerhard Schroeder was with Vladimir Putin when the head of state celebrated his birthday yesterday."

Schroeder served as German Chancellor from 1998 to 2005 and recently joined the supervisory board of a Russian retail chain. He visited one of its stores in Moscow on Wednesday, where employees greeted him with applause, according to footage broadcast by Russian television channels.

Schroeder faces criticism, particularly in Germany, due to his ties with Russian business circles and with Putin, relationships that have persisted despite the war in Ukraine and subsequent waves of Western sanctions.

In May, Putin suggested that Schroeder could represent European countries in any peace talks aimed at resolving the conflict.

Relations between Germany and Russia are at a moment of high tension amid Berlin's accusations that Moscow is waging a war against it using various means.

Berlin states that Russia is responsible for drone attacks on its territory, including targeting an airport in Germany designated for transporting military equipment to Ukraine.