Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed longtime ally and friend, former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, as mediator in the Ukraine war -- an idea that has been met with scepticism in Berlin. Asked on Saturday who he would like to help restart talks with Europe, Putin said he would “personally” prefer Schroeder, who led Germany from 1998 to 2005. JOIN US ON TELEGRAM Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . Schroeder, 82, has remained close to the Kremlin leader long