The leader of the “Alternative for Germany“ (AfG) Alice Weidel said that Germany is entitled to “billions“ in compensation from a hostile foreign country, The Telegraph reports, Fokus reports.
According to the publication, Weidel did not mean Russia, but Ukraine. The article recalls that in her speech in January at the AfD regional congress in North Rhine-Westphalia, she referred to the arrest of two Ukrainians in connection with the destruction of the Nord Stream gas pipeline in 2022.
“I can tell you what we will do when we receive governmental powers. We will file claims for compensation for the damage caused. Then the Ukrainians, Zelensky, simply have to pay for the sabotage of our gas pipelines. The country that does such a thing is not our friend!“, Weidel stated.
AfD defines Russia as a “true friend“
The Telegraph notes that according to Weidel and the AfD, Germany's true friend is Russia.
The publication also connects this position with the party's attitude towards mass migration. According to the publication, Russia has also tried to take advantage of public tension on the topic.
In 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly described Angela Merkel's immigration policy as a “cardinal mistake“.
“The liberal idea suggests that nothing needs to be done - migrants can kill, rob and rape with impunity, since their rights as migrants must be protected. What are these rights? "Every crime must have its punishment," Putin said at the time.
According to the publication, with these words the Russian president tried to position himself as an ideological ally of European opponents of mass migration and open borders.
Expert: AfD's position may seem illogical
Director of the Europe, Russia and Eurasia programs at “Chatham House“ and an expert on European far-right politics, Gregoire Rus, points out that from a statistical point of view, the position may seem illogical.
He notes that the state of Saxony-Anhalt has accepted far fewer migrants per capita than other regions in Germany.
“Nevertheless, “AfD“ sees Russia as a kind of defender of Christian Europe. Therefore, in a sense, it is still better to find some kind of compromise with her than to fight with someone who is considered a kind of "Christian bear," explains Rus.