Russland: Kreml begrüßt Dialogbereitschaft der AfD – und kritisiert Merz

Moscow - Russia has welcomed the willingness of the AfD to engage in dialogue with representatives of the government in Moscow, according to Dmitri Peskow, spokesperson for the Presidential Office. Peskow stated on Tuesday that Russia welcomed the party's efforts to improve relations, contrasting with the stance of the federal government and Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who pursued a confrontational approach towards Russia.

Peskow added that the popularity of the AfD among the German public would continue to rise, as the party advocated for better relations with Russia and sought to resume gas and oil supplies. On Monday, Peskow noted that the AfD's electoral successes in Germany were also due to high energy prices in the country. Reuters news agency reported that AfD leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla plan to meet with a senior adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin in the coming spring to discuss resuming energy supplies.

The AfD won 38% of the vote in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on Sunday, their best performance in Saxony-Anhalt earlier in the month where they narrowly missed securing an absolute majority with 44%. The party currently stands at around 29% nationally, significantly ahead of the CDU/CSU which received about 20%. However, a government option for the right-wing populists remains unavailable as no other party is willing to cooperate with them.