Russian Leader Redefines Nation's Direction in State of the Union Address - Putin voices no worries on AfD: "No issues detected"
Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, defended the meet-ups between Russian officials and representatives of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which some consider as right-wing extremist. He said, "We'll collaborate with whoever desires to collaborate with Russia." The AfD doesn't exhibit any signs of neo-Nazism in their actions, according to Putin. He also mentioned that there are no set relations with the AfD, but Moscow will support anyone who advocates for normal relations with Russia. However, it's not Russia's job to determine if a political force operates within the constitution. "We spot no worry-inducing elements," he added.
Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, had met with AfD's co-chair Tino Chrupalla as a guest in Moscow. Russian opposition figures are seen as enemies of the state, the Russian President lamented, though he's known for clamping down on Russian dissent and persecuting critics. "Any opposing stance is treated as a stance against the state. And anyone is immediately tagged as an agent of the Kremlin."
It's the first international meeting of this kind since the start of Putin's war against Ukraine. Putin is hosting the 27th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, a convention of businessmen from different corners of the globe, where Russia hopes to present itself as a robust resource power amidst western sanctions related to the Moscow attack war against Ukraine.
Western concerns of an attack on NATO territory are rubbish
During the meeting, Putin also dismissed western worries over a potential Russian assault on NATO territory as "rubbish." "Have you gone mad? Are you as stupid as this table? Who concocted that? It's sheer nonsense, get it? Ridiculous," Putin remarked in St. Petersburg on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian President is scheduled to visit France on Thursday for a significant international commemoration of the Allied landing in Normandy during World War II.
Russia has engaged in a large-scale invasion of Ukraine since February 2022. This has led to increased concerns about Russian aggression, particularly in the Baltic area. Putin's comments in St. Petersburg aren't likely to assuage these fears, as Russia had also previously denied any invasion plans before launching its attack on Ukraine.
