It would be safe to assume that the former Chancellor of Germany Gerhard Schröder would align himself with Russia, no matter how the Kremlin handles its confrontations in its periphery. As an official employee of the Kremlin, nothing less could be expected, and indeed we’ve become quite accustomed to his bending of morals to the will of their largest trading partner and energy supplier. Last night, Schröder capitalized on a benefit dinner organized by AWO International, a German humanitarian and development charity, by attacking some Western nations for running policies inconvenient to Moscow’s priorities, such as recognizing the independence of Kosovo and for the Polish missile shield plan, referring to both as “grave mistakes.” He said that “such policies must seem to Russia like an encirclement.” Furthermore, he said, with Georgia’s attack on South Ossetia in early August, “a further red line was crossed.”