- Far-right AfD and far-left BSW passed motion in Saxony-Anhalt regional parliament calling to end Germany's military aid to Ukraine.
- Motion urges state government to push for sanctions relief and end to aid at the Bundesrat, but is purely advisory.
- It demands immediate ceasefire and peace talks with Russia, and calls to normalize relations, while omitting Russia's responsibility for the invasion.
- AfD's unexpected electoral victory in Saxony-Anhalt gave them a working majority with BSW and hopes to lead state government in December.
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed continued support for Kyiv and accused Russia of sabotage, disinformation and espionage against Germany.
Far-right and far-left parties passed a motion in a German regional parliament on Wednesday calling for an end to the country’s military aid for Ukraine and for normalising relations with Russia.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party scored a stunning electoral victory last month in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt, and has teamed up with the far-left BSW party to form a working majority.
Both the AfD and the BSW are united in denouncing the economic sanctions imposed on Russia by Western nations in retaliation for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
They have also demanded that Germany — one of Ukraine’s most important supporters — halt military aid.
Their motion — which is purely advisory — urged Saxony-Anhalt’s government to bring up sanctions relief for Russia and an end to aid for Ukraine in the Bundesrat, the upper house of the national parliament made up of Germany’s 16 federal states.
“Financial support for Ukraine that goes beyond humanitarian aid must be stopped immediately,” the text said, also advocating the “immediate” lifting of sanctions against Moscow.
“The West’s one-sided stance in the Ukraine war has not contributed to ending the conflict; on the contrary, it has prolonged the population’s suffering and increased the risk of the war spreading to other countries.”
It also demanded an “immediate ceasefire and the initiation of peace negotiations with Russia”.
The motion made no mention of Russia’s responsibility for starting the war by invading Ukraine.
The AfD hopes to take control of Saxony-Anhalt’s state government in December, although it remains unclear if the party’s firebrand leader Ulrich Siegmund will be able to secure enough votes to claim the post of state premier.
Moscow has consistently refused to enter into peace talks or agree to a ceasefire until its demands — including large slices of Ukrainian territory — are met.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to continue supporting Kyiv at all costs, and has accused Russia of waging a campaign of sabotage, disinformation, and espionage against Germany.
