Gerhard Schröder confirmed his intention to hold a position on Rosneft’s board of directors. The ex-chancellor from the Social Democratic Party (SPD) said that the answer to his decision lay in his desire to make Germany and Europe energy-independent. He left open the question of whether he will hold the position as the chairman of Rosneft’s supervisory board.

The ex-politician called unreasonable the attempts to isolate Russia. “The demonizing of Russia won’t bring benefit to anybody,” he has emphasized. Mr. Schröder rejected the opinion that Rosneft is “a hand of the Russian government,” noting that the shareholders of the world’s largest oil company also include BP, Qatar, and Glencore. He has also emphasized that Russian representatives do not dominate Rosneft’s supervisory board.

In response to the question of whether he was afraid that President Vladimir Putin uses him for some ulterior purpose, Mr. Schröder answered that he cannot be used and that he has no impression that President Putin harbors any ideas to the contrary.

The E.U. has imposed sanctions against Rosneft in connection with Russia’s alleged annexation of the Crimea in 2014. The SPD candidate to become Germany’s chancellor Martin Schulz distanced himself from Mr. Schröder and his plans to work for Rosneft. The former chancellor was subjected to sharp criticism from leading German politicians and the mass media over his decision to work for Rosneft.