THE RUSSIA CONNECTIONHow Germany’s Far-Right Politicians Became the Kremlin’s Voice
The AfD, Germany’s far-right populist party, has often been labelled as a party of “Putin-Versteher” (“Putin understanders”). Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the AfD has increasingly contributed to Russian disinformation campaigns.
In February, German parliamentarian Steffen Kotre, from the far-right party AfD (Alternative for Germany), was interviewed on Russian TV by the propagandist Vladimir Soloyvov. Kotre accused Western media of stirring up their populations against the Russian regime. He claimed that a significant proportion of Germans did not support the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine. His appearance on Soloyvov’s show, and his comments, sparked a wider debate in Germany about the AfD’s relationship with Russia.
The AfD, often labelled as a party of Putin-Versteher (‘Putin understanders’), isn’t the only German party that has had close ties with Russia. However, while other parties have actively distanced themselves from the Kremlin since Russia invaded Ukraine, the AfD increasingly contributes to Russian disinformation campaigns. High-ranking party members actively craft close diplomatic relationships with the Kremlin and Russian media, arguing that they have a right to foster diplomatic ties with Moscow.
Just days after Kotre’s controversial talk show appearance, two other German right-wing politicians appeared on the state-owned Russian TV channel Rossiya 1. They criticized Germany’s decision to obtain gas from non-Russian sources and supported the narrative that the West was complicit in the war. They fueled rumours that labs in Ukraine were developing bioweapons to be used against Russia, a claim that has since been disproven.
By giving such interviews, German politicians signal that there’s more Western support for Russia’s invasion than there actually is, and help legitimize the Kremlin’s agenda among Russians. Exaggerating levels of support for Vladimir Putin in the West is likely to further fuel Russians’ perception of righteousness. The involvement of German political parties in helping spread Kremlin-fabricated narratives in Germany has a secondary consequence of manipulating German voters and individuals vulnerable to such misinformation, particularly some among the German–Russian minority and from the formerly Russian-controlled East.
