They could bring new leaders to the fore even before the expiration of Yeltsin's term. Schroeder's recognition of these realities was expressed not only in his meetings with Yeltsin and Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov. He also expressed his views when he met with former prime minister Viktor Chernomyrdin, regional governor and likely presidential candidate Aleksandr Lebed, and communist and other political leaders. Kohl's visits to Moscow were usually focused only on Yeltsin and those around him. One theme which pervaded all of Schroeder's discussions in Moscow was that financial assistance to Russia should be provided internationally and not by Germany independently.
Most German commentators agree.
With more than 10 per cent of the nation's workers unemployed and severe problems in some areas of the economy, there is widespread agreement that the new government is being forced to look inward more than in the past. Schroeder also pointed out to his Russian interlocutors that other Western countries were also placing restrictions on their future financial assistance to Russia. German commentators say that Schroeder paid attention to the complaints he heard from German businessmen at a private meeting. The businessmen expressed frustration with Russian tax policies, problems in implementing contracts and other difficulties. Schroeder told them that his government was ready to intervene with Russian authorities in individual cases instead of only making a blanket approach on behalf of all German businessmen.