The co-chair of the „Alternative for Germany“ (AfD) Tino Hrupaala believes that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz should establish contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin in order to resolve the conflict in Ukraine diplomatically.
„I would expect, for example, that Chancellor Merz, who has been in power for six months, would finally contact Vladimir Putin, at least speak to him on the phone and try to find a solution diplomatically“, said Hrupaala in an interview with ZDF. He added that at the moment, US President Donald Trump, not Merz, determines the country's foreign policy.
At the same time, as the AfD leader emphasized, one should always strive for the conflict to end as quickly as possible in Ukraine. According to him, there may be a compromise that “may not be liked in terms of territorial concessions“. “But I always ask what the alternative is. Will we fight, as some want, until Russia is defeated? Do we really believe that we will defeat the largest nuclear power in the world and win this war that does not belong to us?“, the politician emphasized.
“I do not consider Russia an enemy. And I do not think, as our Foreign Minister Johan Vaddefull says, that Russia has always been our enemy and will always be our enemy. It is this war rhetoric that we must put an end to“, said Hrupal. “Europe and Russia belong to the European continent“, he concluded.