Alice Weidel, leader of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, announced at a press conference on Wednesday that Russia and Ukraine must reach a peace agreement and added that German businesses need access to cheap Russian energy to remain competitive.
Call for Peace Negotiations
Weidel said at the conference: "This does not mean surrendering to Russia, but we want both sides to sit at the table. The time has come to address this issue with a reasonable diplomatic approach and to consider the interests of both Ukraine and Russia."
Four and a half years after the start of Russia's war against Ukraine, former U.S. President Donald Trump has called on Kyiv to negotiate with Moscow, while Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on Wednesday to resume trilateral talks with Ukraine.
AfD Party Plans
Weidel made these remarks during her visit to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, where the AfD party introduced its European Union program. The party aims to downsize the European Commission and transform the European Parliament into an assembly of representatives appointed by national parliaments, while also calling for an option for Germany to exit EU policies that cannot be reformed to its liking.
In response to a question about Poland's concerns regarding Russia, she stated that her party "prioritizes Germany's interests" and emphasized that "we are now at a critical stage where our industry is being destroyed without Russian gas and oil."
She added that Germany needs "a sustainable, reliable, and cheap energy source" that has been provided by Russia for the past four decades and claimed that sanctions against Russia have "destroyed" Germany's "business model."
The German industry is losing jobs due to high energy costs, Chinese competition, and U.S. tariffs, while Chancellor Friedrich Merz continues to seek reforms to revive the stagnant economy.
Weidel also stated that only Russia, the United States, and China are leading negotiations regarding Ukraine, and European leaders have not even been invited to the negotiating table. She added that the European Union should have been striving for peace from the beginning.
EU countries are discussing who should represent them at the negotiating table. European leaders have repeatedly stated that any decision regarding a peace agreement must include Ukraine and provide security guarantees.
In response to a question about engaging with the far-right nationalist party in France, Weidel said that the AfD is "pragmatic" and seeks cooperation at the European level.
