Mixed Reaction to Putin's Schröder Peace Mediator Proposal

International reactions were mixed after Putin proposed former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder as a potential peace mediator between Russia and Ukraine. Schröder, a long-time personal friend of Putin and former head of Rosneft's supervisory board, has been a controversial figure in Germany since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. Ukraine and many Western governments expressed skepticism given Schröder's close ties to Moscow, while the proposal was seen by some analysts as a Russian attempt to drive a wedge in Western unity or test diplomatic openings during the ongoing ceasefire period.