Germany: Far-right AfD forges a pro-Russia alliance

Key Points:

• The Saxony-Anhalt state parliament passed a motion calling for an immediate end to all German financial and military aid to Ukraine, supported by the far-right AfD and the left-leaning yet culturally conservative BSW party.
• Both parties urged the state premier to advocate for peace negotiations with Russia in the Bundesrat, but the motion has no direct effect on Germany's national Ukraine policy due to federal foreign policy powers.
• The AfD, classified as a right-wing extremist party, won nearly 44% in the 2026 state election but needs coalition partners, with the BSW being the only party willing to negotiate with it, signaling a potential ideological rapprochement.
• Political analysts describe the AfD and BSW alliance as rooted in shared opposition to the political establishment, pro-Putin views, and criticism of German support for Ukraine, though the BSW is seen as economically left but culturally right-wing.
• Historians and political scientists warn that both parties pose a threat to democracy, promoting Kremlin-aligned agendas and potentially eroding German solidarity with Ukraine, especially in eastern regions.