Putin justifies Kremlin's ties with the AfD party.
In the political spheres of Germany, the Russian upper echelons haven't got many allies left. Their connection with the German opposition party, the AfD, who are seen as partially right-wing by some, is still slightly intact.
President Putin views the AfD as a group that has been politically persecuted in Germany. While addressing a gathering of global news agencies in St. Petersburg, he declared, "We'll work with anyone who wishes to collaborate with Russia." He also said that the Kremlin doesn't see any neo-Nazi elements in the AfD's actions.
Despite this, there are no 'official' links between Moscow and the right-wing German party. However, if someone brings forward the argument for amicable relationships with Russia, then Russia stands ready to back it. According to Putin, it's not Russia's jurisdiction to decide whether a political entity conforms to the constitution. "We don't see anything that would trouble us," he asserted.
Putin suggested that people with alternative standpoints are treated as enemies of the state within Germany. He drew parallels between this attitude and his own approach towards dissenters in Russia, where he crushes any emerging opposition. "Anyone who holds an opposing viewpoint is instantly labelled an agent of the Kremlin," he accused. Previously, Russian FM Sergei Lavrov had received AfD party head Tino Chrupalla as a special Russian guest in Moscow.
The media event in the gigantic Lakhta Center of Gazprom is the beginning of an international engagement since the onset of Putin's war against Ukraine. The 27th edition of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum serves as a platform for showcasing Russia as a powerful commodity giant despite the foreign restrictions on Moscow due to its move on Ukraine.
(Image: Vladimir Putin (Wikimedia Commons))
