Overview
- An AfD delegation of Steffen Kotré, Rainer Rothfuß, Jörg Urban and Hans Neuhoff plans to attend a BRICS-Europe symposium in Sochi next week, with faction funds covering costs budgeted at about €4,050 and €2,000.
- AfD deputy parliamentary leader Markus Frohnmaier said no meeting with Dmitry Medvedev will occur, after earlier reports suggested such an encounter; the Russia trip itself remains approved.
- CSU general secretary Martin Huber labeled the planned travel “Landesverrat,” and CDU foreign policy voice Roderich Kiesewetter urged a review toward a possible party‑ban procedure, which only the Federal Constitutional Court could decide.
- AfD leaders frame the visit as keeping dialogue channels with Russia open, presented as a counterpart to their intensified political outreach in the United States.
- Recent U.S. contacts include meetings with staff of Vice President JD Vance, an invitation from Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, and a Berlin event with Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz, as AfD figures suggest Trump administration attention could pressure Berlin.