Last week, several German politicians from the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD), including Jörg Urban, head of the Saxony branch, Bundestag deputy Steffen Kotré, and Member of the European Parliament Hans Naujhoff, attended a symposium organised by Russian authorities, “BRICS – Europe,” in Sochi.
Bundestag deputy Rainer Rothfuß had also been expected to join the delegation. However, party co-chair Alice Weidel said he decided to withdraw “after discussions with colleagues” and “on his own initiative.” Rothfuß had been scheduled to meet with Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s deputy chairman of the Security Council, but the party ultimately did not approve the plan, Deutsche Welle reported.
Speaking about the meeting, Jörg Urban said the AfD delegation aimed to stress “the importance of restoring economic relations in the energy sector. Ensuring access to affordable energy resources is vital for German industry and the economy. That is why we need low-cost oil and gas supplies from Russia.”
Meanwhile, Steffen Kotré criticised the backlash over the trip, saying it had been blown out of proportion “as if Germany didn’t have enough other problems.” He added that, in his view, Russia does not pose a threat. “German weapons are killing Russians in Ukraine, but Russian weapons are not killing Germans. So this is not our war,” he told Tagesschau.
Investigations by t-online indicate that months of networking preceded the symposium, with the “Sarah Wagenknecht Bloc” (BSW) reportedly involved. The report said Russia seeks to influence lawmakers to undermine key initiatives of Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz, including Germany’s energy independence, EU sanctions on the Kremlin, and the planned use of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine.
The findings come at a sensitive time for Alternative for Germany. Recently, Sinan Selen, president of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, warned that Russia is deliberately targeting German officials, particularly those on the “political fringes.” Leading politicians from the CDU/CSU, SPD, Greens, and the Left have accused the AfD of acting in Russia’s interests and misusing parliamentary powers.
“These connections are officially approved by the leadership of Alternative for Germany. The parliamentary group’s presidium in Berlin was informed of the Bundestag deputies’ trip and granted permission. The party has said it intends to reactivate contacts with Russia following several visits to the US,” t-online reported.
As early as October last year, the political magazine ARD Kontraste and Die Zeit revealed Russia’s plans to “fuel Germans’ fear of a potential NATO-Russia conflict.” According to the documents, two parties were to help promote this agenda: the BSW, for which the documents recommend that “closer contacts with Wagenknecht and her circle should be established through existing channels,” and Alternative for Germany, which the Kremlin “wants to support by all possible means.”
T-online investigations indicate that, since then, official Russian institutions have strengthened ties with both parties. Michael von der Schulenburg, by his own account, meets regularly with Russian diplomats in Brussels, a fact he confirmed to the European Parliament, while several Alternative for Germany politicians also appear to have become permanent members of this network.
Internal Kremlin documents obtained by SPIEGEL suggest that luring EU politicians to Sochi was part of a large-scale Russian influence operation. A letter from a co-organiser to former President Medvedev names two men who have long been closely monitored by Western intelligence agencies: the pro-Russian former Ukrainian MP Oleh Voloshyn and the oligarch close to him and to Putin, Viktor Medvedchuk. Intelligence reports indicate that for many years they have been bribing selected far-right politicians across Europe.
In addition, Alternative for Germany deputies in Thuringia are accused of submitting parliamentary inquiries on sensitive topics, effectively acting as spies for Russia. Over the past year, party deputies have done this 47 times, raising questions about critical infrastructure, Thuringia’s Interior Minister Georg Maier told Handelsblatt. According to him, the politicians requested information on transport, water supply, digital, and energy infrastructure. “Alternative for Germany also shows a particular interest in the police’s IT capabilities, including its capacity to detect and counter drones,” Maier said.
Overall, the situation shows that Europe faces not only overt military and economic aggression from Russia but also coordinated efforts at political infiltration, manipulation, and internal division. Officials say this presents a serious challenge to democracies and highlights the need for greater transparency, critical thinking, and stronger measures to counter foreign influence.
