Robert Amsterdam

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's eager PR activities for the Kremlin (for which he receives $390,000 annually) seem to be backfiring and causing much more damage than benefit.

From the Telegraph:

"His comments are a blatant slap in the face for foreign minister Steinmeir," said Karl-Theodore Guttenberg, a conservative foreign affairs spokesman.

Other German politicians have openly attacked Mr Schroeder for his remarks. "Anyone who works for Gazprom should keep their mouths shut when it comes to subjects which involve Russia," said Erwin Huber, a senior conservative.

"The former chancellor seems to have completely lost his foreign policy perspective," said Dirk Niebel, the general secretary of the country's liberal Free Democrat party.

A government foreign policy spokesman accused Mr Schroeder of becoming "Moscow's most prominent voice in Germany."

Ulf Porschardt, a commentator for Germany's Die Welt newspaper even suggested that Gazprom should reward Mr Schroeder for his vociferous support for the Kremlin with a "juicy one-off bonus payment."