German ex-chancellor joins supervisory board of Russia's Globus

Former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder has become a member of the supervisory board of the Russian subsidiary of the German retail group Globus, the company said on Friday.

Schröder was appointed to the supervisory board by the shareholders on September 30, Russian firm Hyperglobus confirmed to dpa.

The former chancellor would take part in the company's general management and lead the firm's strategic development in Russia, it added.

There was initially no confirmation from the 82-year-old, who is friends with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Russian subsidiary was separated from the German holding company in January 2025 and operates independently in Russia.

Schröder was German chancellor from 1998 to 2005. Towards the end of his term in office, he agreed with Putin to build the Baltic Sea Nord Stream pipeline. After leaving politics, he took on roles at Nord Stream and at the Russian energy group Rosneft.

His close connection to Putin and his involvement with Russian energy companies have been criticized for years. Schröder has repeatedly met Putin since the beginning of Russia's war against Ukraine.