Vladimir Putin hinted over the weekend that he foresaw the war in Ukraine coming to an end soon, while raising the prospect of talks with the EU to draw up new security arrangements for a post-war Europe. The Russian president told reporters that he would be open to reopening lines of communication with Ukraine and Europe, ideally mediated by former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder. “For me personally, the former Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany , Mr Schröder, is preferable,” Putin said, asked on Saturday if he was willing to engage with Europe. Gerhard Schroeder arrives for a news conference with Vladimir Putin in 2005 (Getty) European officials responded with instant concern, suggesting Schröder lacked the impartiality needed to behave as an “honest broker” and suggesting the offer looked like another bogus proposal aimed at dividing the Western alliance.…