Russia wants to reach a negotiated solution to end its war on Ukraine, according to former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. The ex-leader, who is a personal friend of Vladimir Putin, said last month’s agreement on allowing grain shipments to leave Ukraine might pave the way to a broader peace arrangement. “The good news is that the Kremlin wants a negotiated solution,” Schroeder told German media on Wednesday, adding that he had met Putin in Moscow last week. “A first success is the grain deal, perhaps that can be slowly expanded to a ceasefire.” Schroeder, who was chancellor from 1998 to 2005, has been heavily criticized for his close ties to Russia, including taking jobs with Russian state-owned energy company Rosneft.