Merz accused Russia of supporting the AfD: Moscow wants to weaken aid to Ukraine
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that Russia is attempting to influence German society and supports the far-right party "Alternative for Germany" (AfD). According to him, one of the Kremlin's goals is to weaken Germany's support for Ukraine.
As reported by Censor.NET, citing Bloomberg, Merz made these remarks on October 1 during a speech in Münster at the ceremony for the International Westphalian Peace Prize, which was awarded to NATO this year.
The chancellor called Russia a destabilizing force for Germany and a threat to democracy.
According to Merz, Moscow uses hybrid attacks, social media, and other tools to influence public sentiment and deepen divisions within the country.
"We will not let ourselves be divided — not by hybrid attacks, not by hate stirred up on social media by Moscow-controlled bots and not by the slogans of the AfD and their Russian backers," the chancellor said.
He also said that the Kremlin is seeking to weaken Germany and force it to cut back on its aid to Ukraine.
"The Russian government wants to unsettle us. It’s looking for any chance to divide our society and weaken our country," Merz stressed.
Merz did not provide specific evidence of Russian support for the AfD
At the same time, during his speech, the chancellor did not present specific evidence that Moscow directly supports the AfD.
The party advocates ending military aid to Ukraine and resuming imports of Russian gas. Some AfD representatives have also had contacts with pro-Russian networks.
However, the claim that Russia finances the AfD or directly influences the party’s decisions is not substantiated in the article.
