Former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder has backed Chancellor Olaf Scholz's no to the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine and his fundamental rejection of the deployment of ground troops.
"I think Olaf Scholz is doing what I would expect from a German chancellor at the moment," the former leader of the Social Democrats (SPD), which is also Scholz's party, told dpa.
Schröder, who was chancellor from 1998 to 2005, also called for a Franco-German initiative to negotiate a solution to the conflict in Ukraine.
When asked whether he would like to see a "peace chancellor" Scholz, 79, said: "Yes, I would." He added: "If someone as German chancellor is committed to peace, if someone is described as a 'peace chancellor', is that a negative thing?"
Scholz has repeatedly spoken out against the delivery of the long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, despite pleas from Kiev, saying it has the potential to escalate the conflict and drag Germany into the war.
The conservative opposition bloc of the Christian Democrats (CDU) and their Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU) used the former chancellor's comments to call on Scholz to change his stance on the Taurus issue.
"Being praised and appropriated by Gerhard Schröder clearly shows that he is on the wrong track," said CSU leader Markus Söder. "I would urgently reconsider this, and as federal chancellor I would really resent this praise."
CDU Presidium member Jens Spahn said: "If you have friends and supporters like former chancellor and Putin friend Gerhard Schröder, you don't really need any more political enemies."
