Controversial Visit to Sochi
Members of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) are defending their plans to travel to Russia amid mounting criticism from across the German political spectrum. On November 8, 2025, Deutsche Welle reported that Hans Neuhoff, an AfD member of the European Parliament, justified his intention to attend a congress organized by the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The event, scheduled for November 14–15 in Sochi, focuses on relations between the EU and BRICS countries. Neuhoff argued that ignoring BRICS would be a strategic mistake, saying that conservative politicians “are leading Germany and Europe toward isolation, not prosperity.”
Other AfD politicians, including Bundestag members Steffen Kotré and Rainer Rothfuß, as well as Saxony’s AfD leader Jörg Urban, are expected to accompany him. The trip has been sharply condemned by members of the Christian Democratic (CDU) and Christian Social (CSU) parties. CSU Secretary General Martin Huber accused the AfD of “betraying the state” and acting as “Moscow’s mouthpiece,” while CDU foreign affairs expert Roderich Kiesewetter warned that AfD has become a tool in Russia’s hybrid war against Europe.
Growing Concerns over Russian Ties
The controversy highlights ongoing suspicions about AfD’s connections with Moscow. The party, now Germany’s largest opposition force with 21% of the vote and 152 seats in the Bundestag, has been officially classified by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution as a “confirmed right-wing extremist organization.” AfD disputes this designation in court. However, several incidents have reinforced public concern. Three AfD regional MPs recently attended a birthday event for Vladimir Putin at the Russian Embassy in Berlin, sparking outrage in German media.
Moreover, AfD politicians have repeatedly echoed Kremlin narratives—criticizing sanctions against Russia, blaming the West for the war in Ukraine, and calling for “peaceful coexistence” with Moscow. In April, MEP Petr Bystron was investigated for allegedly receiving money from Voice of Europe, a pro-Russian outlet linked to Viktor Medvedchuk. German intelligence officials have also warned that AfD’s parliamentary inquiries into military logistics could pose security risks by exposing sensitive data. Interior Minister Georg Maier of Thuringia has publicly stated that AfD might be “spying for Russia.”
For Berlin’s political establishment, the Sochi visit symbolizes a dangerous normalization of relations with a regime waging war against Ukraine. Analysts see it as part of the Kremlin’s broader strategy to infiltrate and destabilize European institutions by cultivating ties with extremist parties on both the far right and far left.
