Germany's AfD questions EU and NATO ties amid war claims
In an interview with Die Welt, Tino Chrupalla, co-chairman of Alternative for Germany (AfD), questioned the sense of Germany's presence in NATO and the European Union. He claimed that Russia has already won the war, and handing over Taurus missiles to Ukraine would draw Germany into the military conflict.
In the interview published on Sunday, Chrupalla stated that NATO has ceased to be a defensive alliance and suggested that Germany reconsider the benefits of membership in the organisation.
A defense community must accept and respect the interests of all European countries — including Russia's interests. If NATO cannot ensure that, Germany must consider to what extent this alliance is still useful for us – said the politician.
Chrupalla described the Afd's proposed electoral programme, which includes a proposal for Germany's exit from the European Union, as a "maximum demand." He emphasised that the party envisions replacing the EU with an "economic and interest community."
Before leaving, clear rules for the new organisation must be agreed upon, he claimed, adding that the programme is to be approved at the party congress in January.
The politician also warned against supplying Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles, claiming that such a move would mean Germany's involvement in the war.
Whoever votes for Friedrich Merz votes for war – he stated, referring to Friedrich Merz, the CDU/CSU candidate for chancellor in the Bundestag elections scheduled for 2025.
Chrupalla assessed that "the German government must finally get to the point of wanting to end the war" because "Russia has won this war". According to him, "reality has caught up with those who claim to want to enable Ukraine to win the war." Alice Weidel, the second co-chair of the AfD, is the candidate for chancellor of this right-wing populist, pro-Russian party.
In pre-election polls, AfD achieves support at 17–20 per cent, placing it second after the CDU/CSU bloc with a 30–34 per cent result. In the European Parliament, AfD belongs to the Identity and Democracy faction, while the Polish Confederation, represented by three MEPs, is a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists group.
