German Conservatives Accuse AfD of Betraying Germany and Acting as “Moscow’s Mouthpiece”
Several politicians from Germany’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party are reportedly planning a trip to Russia to attend a BRICS conference, sparking outrage among conservative lawmakers. Members of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) accuse the AfD of betraying German national interests and aligning with the Kremlin. CSU General Secretary Martin Huber condemned the visit sharply, stating: “AfD representatives are traveling to Russia to discuss the promotion of Russian interests with the Kremlin. That is treason.” Huber added that it was becoming increasingly clear that the AfD is “the extended arm of Vladimir Putin in Germany” and “long since the mouthpiece of Moscow,” posing a threat to democracy. This was reported by Newstoday24, referencing Handelsblatt.
The trip is reportedly scheduled for November 13–17 in Sochi, where the AfD delegation plans to participate in a BRICS conference on the Black Sea. The move has drawn strong criticism from conservative circles. CDU foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter told Handelsblatt that the AfD lawmakers were “deliberately and willingly making themselves tools of Russia’s hybrid war against Germany and Europe.” Kiesewetter described Russia as a “terrorist state” and accused Moscow of supporting “pro-Kremlin parties like the AfD” to weaken Germany’s democracy and expand its influence. Huber added that anyone who lets “Putin’s henchmen dictate their politics is not a patriot but a puppet and a risk to our country.”
AfD MEP Hans Neuhoff rejected the accusations, calling them “unqualified.” He told Handelsblatt that his visit was intended to attend a congress organized by the European Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, focused on “Perspectives of Relations between EU and BRICS States.” Neuhoff plans to deliver a lecture there and expects participants from several BRICS and EU countries. “Conservative politicians who think we should ignore BRICS understand nothing about geopolitics,” he said, arguing that such an approach would isolate Germany rather than secure a “prosperous future.” The BRICS group originally included Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa but has since expanded to other nations.
Following media reports by t-online about a possible meeting between the AfD delegation and Russian Security Council deputy chairman Dmitry Medvedev, known for his harsh anti-German rhetoric, AfD foreign policy spokesman Markus Frohnmaier reportedly canceled the planned meeting.
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