Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is in Moscow and may meet Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
The ex-chancellor's wife So-Yeon Schroeder-Kim said that he is participating in energy talks. German magazine Der Spiegel reported that Schroeder is supposed to conduct negotiations regarding the Nord Stream-1 pipeline.
This contradicts Schroeder's earlier statement that he had come to Russia on vacation, as cited by German broadcaster n-tv.
Schroeder, one of Putin's main allies in Europe, chairs Nord Stream-1's board of directors. He also chaired the board of Russian state oil firm Rosneft before stepping down under public pressure in May. The European Parliament has called for introducing sanctions against Schroeder.