Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, co-chairs of Alternative for Germany (AfD), Berlin, November 4, 2025. CLEMENS BILAN/EPA
The fracture line between East and West has split Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). The party, which holds 151 seats in the Bundestag (out of 630), has been caught up in a heated internal dispute over its relationship with Moscow, highlighted by several members attending a conference in Sochi on the coast of the Black Sea.
Three AfD politicians traveled to this event, called “BRICS-Europe,” on Friday, November 14, and Saturday, November 15. It was the second edition of the conference in the Russian resort town, and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now vice president of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, was in attendance. Jörg Urban, a member of the Saxony regional parliament, European lawmaker Hans Neuhoff and Bundestag member Steffen Kotré made the trip, while several other AfD lawmakers participated virtually. At the event, participants condemned the negative impact of the embargo on Russian hydrocarbons and called for a resumption of imports to Germany.
“Giving up Russian energy resources has caused such an increase in energy prices that many businesses in the Land of Saxony have been forced to close or relocate abroad,” said Urban, according to the online portal T-Online. He emphasized the existence of German political forces eager to cooperate with Russia.
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