German AfD Lawmakers Meet with United Russia Party in Sochi
Germany’s far-right AfD party has been skeptical of continued aid for Ukraine’s war effort (Wikimedia Commons).
Three members of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party attended the “BRICS-Europe Symposium" hosted by Russia’s ruling United Russia party in the Russian coastal city of Sochi on November 15, according to Meduza. Attendees from the AfD included Bundestag member Steffen Kotre, Saxony’s AfD state leader Jörg Urban, and European Parliament member from the AfD Hans Neuhoff. A fourth AfD member who also holds a seat in the Bundestag, Rainer Rothfuss, also planned to participate in the symposium, but cancelled his attendance after widespread backlash in Germany.
The AfD’s parliamentary group approved the trip and covered its travel costs, according to Deutsche Welle. However, Alice Weidel, co-leader of the AfD, condemned the trip, questioning “what they are actually supposed to do there,” and saying the trip “serve[s] no purpose whatsoever,” according to the Kyiv Post. Weidel claimed the AfD’s national party leadership was not made aware of the trip before it was publicly announced and promised to discipline any AfD members who attend the symposium. Germany’s moderate parties also criticized the trip, with one Bavarian state lawmaker labelling it “treason,” and others accusing the AfD of conducting espionage operations for Russia in Germany.
Notably, AfD members attending the symposium planned to meet with former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, known for his nuclear saber-rattling, during their trip. More moderate parties in Germany have criticized the AfD for its conciliatory stance towards Russia and questioning of continued military aid to Ukraine. AfD Bundestag member Steffen Kotre, who attended the symposium, appeared on Russian propagandist Vladimir Solovyev’s TV show in 2023, claiming that “a significant proportion of Germans did not support the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine,” according to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.