The AfD and the Sahra Wagenknecht alliance are both characterized by a surprisingly positive attitude towards Russia. But only one of the two parties is a flawless Kremlin mouthpiece.
There are certain overlaps in terms of content between the AfD and the Sahra Wagenknecht alliance, that is obvious. Among other things, there is a similarity in the attitude towards Russia. It sometimes happens that the BSW politician Klaus Ernst (at the time still a member of the Left Party) meets the AfD representatives Tino Chrupalla and Alexander Gauland in the Russian embassy.
But: When BSW boss Amira Mohamed Ali gets annoyed in a talk show that “BSW and AfD are called the two pro-Putin parties”, then that is understandable.
Because, despite all the similarities in attitudes towards Russia, there is one important difference. This became apparent last Tuesday in the Bundestag. On that day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj spoke to parliament as part of his state visit to Germany. AfD and BSW boycotted the speech. So much for the similarities.
The BSW justified the absence of its ten representatives with a whole series of points: Germany must not become a party to the war, the federal government should have accepted an alleged offer of negotiations from the Kremlin, Selenskyj is contributing to “promoting a highly dangerous spiral of escalation” and is accepting the risk of a nuclear conflict.
The BSW’s arguments can be seen as wrong…
One can find these arguments wrong, absurd or dangerous for Germany’s security. For example, the talk of a Russian offer of negotiations is wrong in substance; in fact, Putin said at the end of May that negotiations could be returned to – but “based on today’s realities that have developed on the ground”. In other words: Ukraine should give up the land that Russia has conquered so far in its criminal war. At the same time, if Putin had his way, Ukraine would never be safe from its dangerous neighbor. This is also shown by Putin’s current conditions for peace talks: Ukraine should give up land that Russia has not yet conquered, and it should also renounce NATO membership. This makes it clear that Russia could invade the country again at any time. The imperialist fantasies spread by Putin’s propaganda speakers speak a clear language: Putin wants to destroy Ukraine.
There is another point that can be raised against the BSW: it is not Selenskyj who is turning the nuclear escalation spiral. It is Putin who has the nuclear weapons and is threatening his lackeys with them. But, as I said, the argument of the Wagenknecht group can be seen as wrong. However, it is not as repulsive as what the AfD is spreading. Not by a long shot.
… those of the AfD are lies
The AfD justified its absence by saying that Zelensky’s term in office had “expired”. This is Putin’s lie almost word for word: As in Germany, no elections are planned in Ukraine in the event of a state of defense. Nevertheless, when Putin made his alleged offer of negotiations in May, he said that “the legitimacy of the current head of state” had “expired”.
Whether one wants to describe the AfD and BSW as “the two pro-Putin parties” is a question of political style; Wagenknecht and her people are also often quite sharp in their rhetoric, so they can hardly complain about such an exaggeration in a talk show. But at the same time it is clear: the AfD is Putin’s mouthpiece. It betrays German and European interests with a radicalness that is unparalleled. And it is not even capable of inventing its own fairy tales. It is so unimaginative that it has to adopt the Kremlin’s lies.