AfD leader calls for ending military aid to Kiev after German findings on Nord Streams

Lead

German opposition politicians have renewed calls to end military support for Ukraine after German prosecutors announced charges against a Ukrainian national suspected of involvement in the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines. The statements come from leading figures of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and the BSW party, each urging a shift in German policy toward diplomacy, and in one case, the resumption of Russian gas imports.

The charges against the suspect were brought by Germany's federal prosecutor general, who believe the individual and accomplices planned the attack on behalf of Ukrainian state agencies, according to reports from TASS.

Coverage comparison

Reporting by TASS, a Russian state news agency, highlights the critical voices within German opposition parties. The coverage includes direct quotes from Sahra Wagenknecht, the founder of the BSW party, and the two co-chairs of the AfD, Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla. Their statements respond both to the Nord Stream investigation and to Germany's ongoing support for Ukraine amid the war.

Key claims

Sahra Wagenknecht, founder of the BSW, called on German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to stop financial aid to Kiev after the news that a Ukrainian citizen is suspected of involvement in the Nord Stream sabotage. She wrote on the X social network: "What else exactly has to happen before the German government finally learns its lessons?" She added that "everyone knows that the Ukrainian government, and most likely [Vladimir] Zelensky himself, ordered to commit this terrorist act." She described the aid as "presents worth billions" that are "getting bogged down in a swamp of corruption," and demanded the halt of "this embezzlement of taxpayer money." She also urged the German government to "work hard to resume imports of affordable Russian gas via the still-intact leg of the pipeline."

Alice Weidel, co-chair of the AfD, voiced strong opposition to continued German aid to Ukraine, including military support, and called Ukraine's aspirations to join the EU and NATO "unacceptable." At a campaign event in Magdeburg, she stressed the need for diplomacy: "We need diplomacy between the West and the East," and said her party would "work tirelessly to ensure peace in Ukraine and advocate for meaningful peace talks." She called for an end to "this senseless loss of life" and promised, if in government, to halt all aid to Ukraine—"no more taxpayer money, no more weapons, and no more German soldiers involved." Weidel also affirmed the party's stance of non-alignment, opposing taking sides in the conflict, and its intent to negotiate with Russia, the United States, and China as key trading partners.

Tino Chrupalla, the other AfD co-chair, called NATO "a tool for funding the Ukraine conflict" and stressed that young Germans are showing "the time of war ministers is over." He urged efforts to find impetus for peaceful coexistence of nations in Europe, saying NATO could be "an alliance of peace, rather than a financial machine for the war in Ukraine."

Chrupalla also responded directly to the Nord Stream investigation, writing on X that "the terrorist attack against a vital artery of German industry must be thoroughly investigated." He called for identifying those who ordered the sabotage and making that information public, adding that the investigation should not stop if it leads to senior officials in the Ukrainian army or intelligence services. "Only then will we know whether other states were involved in this war crime against Germany," he said. He concluded that "there is already enough evidence to put an end to all military aid to Ukraine."

Perspectives

AfD leadership: The AfD co-chairs, Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, oppose German military support for Ukraine, reject Ukraine's NATO and EU membership, and advocate for renewed diplomacy with Russia. Chrupalla also calls for a full investigation into the Nord Stream sabotage and for an end to military aid, while Weidel emphasizes non-alignment and negotiations with all major powers.

BSW founder: Sahra Wagenknecht also urges the German government to stop financial aid to Ukraine, linking the aid to corruption and citing the Nord Stream sabotage. She further recommends resuming Russian gas imports through the intact pipeline for economic relief.