The leaders of the German far-right party “Alternative for Germany“ (AfD) Tino Krupala and Beatrix von Storch were in Washington on Monday for the inauguration of US President Donald Trump. However, they did not attend the ceremony in person, but watched it on a screen in the fan zone about two kilometers from the Capitol, due to the extremely cold weather, quoted by BTA.
"Unfortunately, the extremely cold weather did not allow me to watch the inauguration from my reserved seat," explained AfD co-chair Tino Krupala.
Due to adverse weather conditions, the swearing-in was held inside the Capitol building, which limited the number of attendees.
High-level meetings and political discussions
During his visit, Krupala said he had meetings with business representatives, members of Congress and diplomats. Beatrix von Storch also said she had spoken with key figures in Trump's entourage, including Donald Trump Jr. and Steve Bannon, a former adviser to the US president.
Von Storch called the trip “one hundred percent useful“ and stressed that Republicans are aware of the role of “Alternative for Germany“ as their partner in Germany.
Shared goals between AfD and Republicans
Von Storch noted that despite some differences in interests, the two parties have a common goal - opposing the ideology of the “left-wing awakening“. “We need to look at things more broadly and focus on our common priorities,“ she said.
The AfD's visit and contacts in Washington show the party's desire to strengthen its ties with Republicans in the US and strengthen its international positions.