Russia's energy giant Rosneft announces Germany's ex-chancellor's departure amid scrutiny

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has informed Russia's state-owned oil company Rosneft that he would be leaving the company's board of directors, according to a statement on the company's website. It is worth mentioning here that Schroder has come under fire for staying in office during Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Russian state-owned oil company Rosneft, in a statement said,  "We are sympathetic to their decisions and thank them for their continued support."

Meanwhile, in the midst of a controversy over Schroeder's business and political ties to Russia, the German parliament announced on May 19 that he would lose his taxpayer-funded office and staff. Further, Matthias Warnig, a German businessman, is also leaving Schroeder's supervisory board. Warnig is the CEO of the Nord Stream 2 operating company.

Notably, Schroeder is regarded as a close confidante of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Pressure on the former SPD chancellor has recently increased as a result of the perceived war of aggression in Ukraine, which violates international law. On May 19, the European Parliament demanded that Schroeder be added to the list of sanctions against Russian oligarchs if he continued to hold positions in Russian companies despite the conflict in Ukraine.

From 1998 to 2005, Schroeder served as Chancellor of Germany. He then worked on pipeline projects Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2, as well as for Russian Gazprom and the energy company Rosneft. The SPD leadership asked him to leave the party because he did not distance himself from this after the start of Russia's war against Ukraine. 

Schroeder stripped of his office and staff

The Washington Post reported, citing a spokesman for Germany's Green Party, that Schroeder was stripped of his office and staff on May 19. The announcement came just one day after representatives from three German political parties said in a statement that the parliament's budget committee was putting in place a new regulation linking the benefits that former chancellors are entitled to regardless of whether they have any official duties.

In addition, Schroeder recently told the New York Times that Putin's war was a mistake and that the killing of Ukrainian civilians in Bucha must be investigated. However, he refused to deny his friendship with Putin and claimed that the bloodshed in Bucha was not ordered by the Russian leader.

(With agency inputs)