After the leadership of the SPD, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) also asked the former head of government and party leader Gerhard Schröder to resign from his post at Russian state-owned companies.
"My advice to Gerhard Schröder is to resign from these offices," said Scholz on Thursday on the ZDF program "Maybrit Illner".
He also stressed that this question is not a private matter.
One is committed to such a public office as Schröder held, even after his term of office.
"This commitment does not end when you leave office, it continues."
In addition, Scholz advocated reviewing the financing of the former chancellor's office from taxpayers' money.
“Of course, the German Bundestag will also deal with this question.
In any case, Bundestag employees are not to be used to carry out such tasks that result from private-sector activities.
A former Federal Chancellor is entitled to an office with several employees.
Last year, 407,000 euros flowed from the state treasury for personnel expenses in Schröder's office, as can be seen from a response from the chancellor's office to a request from the left-wing faction.
According to media reports, four of Schröder's employees resigned in the course of the discussion about his connections to Russia.
SPD leadership demands "timely" response from Schröder
Specifically, it is about Schröder's posts at the Russian energy companies Nord Stream 1 and 2 and the oil company Rosneft, where he is the head of the supervisory board.
In addition, Schröder is to take on a supervisory board position for Gazprom.
The former chancellor has long been criticized for his ties to Russia.
He is considered a longtime friend of President Vladimir Putin, who launched a war of aggression against Ukraine last week.
In a letter, SPD chairmen Lars Klingbeil and Saskia Esken issued an ultimatum to Schröder to resign from his position at the Russian state-owned company.
A "prompt" answer is expected, said Klingbeil on Thursday after a meeting of the party executive.
He did not name a specific date.
If Schröder does not comply with the request that was made last Saturday, advice will be given on how to proceed.
Schröder was "completely isolated in social democracy".
In the SPD there is a first application for expulsion of the former chancellor, which has been made by the Heidelberg local association.
Scholz said that he did not believe that Schröder's behavior would damage the SPD.
"I don't know whether it harms the SPD, where everyone knows that we don't agree with that, I hope not and I don't think so either."
No NATO involvement in Ukraine war
In the interview, which lasted more than an hour, Schröder made it clear once again that NATO would not take part in the war in Ukraine.
"That would entail a dramatic escalation of this difficult situation in Ukraine, which would entail great dangers," warned the SPD politician.
"That's why it would not be a responsible policy to do that now." A direct confrontation between NATO and Russia must be prevented.
"That's why there will be no decisions now that would lead to NATO countries taking part militarily in this conflict."
Germany and other NATO countries are supporting the Ukrainian armed forces with weapons.
However, they are not delivered directly into the country, but handed over outside the borders.
This means that no NATO soldiers will enter Ukraine.
US President Joe Biden has also ruled out military involvement in the war.
Traffic light projects should not suffer from an upgrade program
Scholz defended his 100 billion euro program for the Bundeswehr.
But he also emphasized that other projects of the traffic light coalition would not suffer.
"We will not give up the modernization policy, the policy for more justice in our society, for the ecological transformation, but will push it," said Scholz.
He pointed out that 100 billion euros would also be taken out as a loan for the Bundeswehr via the special fund he had announced.
"And that also means, conversely, that we can and should also pursue all of the projects that we wrote in the coalition agreement for better coexistence in Germany, for progress, for more justice, for more education want,” said Scholz.
Too long hesitation in arms deliveries?
– “Nobody sees it that way”
He also dismissed the accusation that Germany had waited too long to deliver arms to Ukraine.
"No one sees it that way," he said.
After the Russian attack on Ukraine, however, it would have been wrong to continue Germany's restrictive course on deliveries to war zones there.
The aim now must be a ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian troops.
It is right to continue to put pressure on with sanctions and to maintain scope for diplomacy.