Russia’s presidential spokesman has openly expressed sympathy for Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland, or AfD, praising the party’s call for improved relations with Moscow and highlighting its value to the Kremlin over the policy of Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Dmitry Peskov’s remarks, reported on 21 September 2026 by Do Rzeczy, have raised questions over whether the AfD could pursue an independent foreign policy if it gained greater influence in Berlin. The party’s co-leader Alice Weidel had said the previous day that the AfD wanted to open a channel of negotiations with Russia together with the US, presenting it as the only reliable political force in Germany for both Washington and Moscow.
A public endorsement from the Kremlin
Peskov said the AfD could not fail to attract Russian sympathy because of its position on relations with Russia. He contrasted that approach with what he described as the confrontational line of Mr Merz, making clear that the Kremlin sees a change in Germany’s foreign-policy direction as being in its interests.
The statement amounts to more than a favourable comment about a German opposition party. It shows that the Kremlin is openly backing the AfD as a force capable of weakening the current government’s policy towards Russia. By identifying the party’s position as more advantageous to Moscow, Peskov has also made clear which political outcome Russia would prefer in Germany.
That endorsement puts the AfD’s stated ambition to act as an independent national force under scrutiny. A party that is publicly welcomed by the Russian presidency for advocating a particular approach to Moscow would face questions about how freely it could define Germany’s foreign policy, especially where its priorities coincide so closely with those of the Kremlin.
AfD offers a different course
Weidel’s proposal to establish a negotiating channel with Russia, in partnership with the United States, would restore direct dialogue between Berlin and the Kremlin. The AfD presents itself as uniquely capable of delivering that change, claiming a special political reliability in the eyes of both Washington and Moscow.
The party’s position also reaches beyond diplomacy. The materials describe the AfD as seeking the restoration of energy and economic cooperation with Russia. That would run against the European Union’s sanctions policy and its stated course of reducing dependence on Russian energy supplies.
For Germany, the issue is not simply whether to reopen commercial links. Renewed cooperation could return the country to a position of energy dependence on Russia, giving the Kremlin leverage for political pressure and influence over German foreign policy. The same dependence that might be presented as an economic opportunity could therefore become a strategic vulnerability.
The wider European stakes
Russia’s support for the AfD forms part of a broader effort to use the party to damage European unity and advance Moscow’s geopolitical interests. A shift in Germany’s policy would matter beyond Berlin because the country’s approach to sanctions, energy and relations with Russia affects the wider European position.
If the AfD were able to translate its pro-Russian programme into government policy, the consequences would extend to the coherence of the EU’s response to Moscow. Restored bilateral energy and economic ties could make common European restrictions harder to maintain, while giving Russia a fresh route for political influence inside one of Europe’s most important states.
The immediate significance of Peskov’s remarks lies in their candour. The Kremlin is not merely responding to an existing German debate; it is signalling a preference for the party most willing to change the country’s relationship with Russia. That leaves the AfD facing a central political test: whether its proposed rapprochement can be presented as an autonomous German choice when Moscow is so clearly identifying it as a favourable outcome.
Should Germany prioritise renewed direct engagement with Russia despite the risk of returning to energy dependence?
