MOSCOW, March 10. /TASS/. Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has arrived in Moscow to discuss the situation in Ukraine with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Politico wrote on Thursday, citing "sources familiar with the matter."

According to the news outlet, "Schroeder’s Moscow visit followed talks in Istanbul with a Ukrainian politician who is a member of the country’s delegation for peace talks with Russia."

Reuters reported, citing sources, that the German government had not been informed of Schroeder’s initiative.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation based on a request from the heads of the Donbass republics. The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans to occupy Ukrainian territories and the goal was to demilitarize and denazify the country. In response, the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom and a number of other countries announced sanctions on Russian individuals and entities.