Merz Accuses Russia of Supporting the Right-Wing Party "Alternative for Germany"

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has accused Russia of supporting the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which opposes military aid to Ukraine and advocates restoring relations with Moscow.

Merz made the statement on October 1 during a ceremony in Münster where NATO received the International Westphalian Peace Prize, reports Bloomberg.

The chancellor said Germany and its allies must not allow Moscow to divide European societies through hybrid attacks, social media campaigns and domestic political strife.

Merz specifically mentioned "the slogans of the AfD and its Russian supporters." According to him, such actions are part of Moscow's attempts to weaken support for Ukraine within Germany.

A similar formulation is reported by Reuters. Merz stressed that Berlin intends to continue helping Kyiv despite domestic political disputes and Russian hybrid actions.

The statement came after two major AfD successes in state elections in September. The party won in Saxony-Anhalt and then took first place in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. At the same time, the positions of Merz's Christian Democratic Union noticeably weakened.

Against this background, Moscow has in recent weeks openly expressed positive views about the AfD's foreign policy stance. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on September 22 that the party's calls for restoring Germany's relations with Russia "appeal" to Moscow. He also contrasted this position with the policy of the Merz government.

Shortly before the elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Russian presidential special envoy Kirill Dmitriev publicly linked the possible return of cheap Russian gas via Nord Stream to cooperation with the AfD.

The AfD itself advocates ending German military aid to Ukraine, lifting sanctions against Russia and restoring economic relations with Moscow, including supplies of Russian energy resources.

However, the claim that Russia supports the AfD is a statement by Merz. Moscow denies accusations by Western countries of waging a hybrid pressure campaign against Europe. The AfD has also previously rejected accusations from German political opponents that its position on Russia contradicts Germany's interests.

Merz simultaneously stressed that Germany is interested in the long term in restoring stable and predictable relations with Russia, but, according to him, for this Moscow must stop the war against Ukraine and hybrid attacks on European countries.

"We are not mediators. We are on the side of freedom, and therefore we are on the side of Ukraine," the chancellor said.