Overview
- At a Bundestag briefing, Alice Weidel condemned plans by Steffen Kotré and Rainer Rothfuß to attend a BRICS‑related event in Sochi and warned that breaching party rules could lead to expulsion.
- Weidel said Rothfuß had withdrawn after talks with colleagues, while Kotré still planned to travel under conditions set by the faction’s foreign affairs working group.
- Reporting indicated that initial plans for meetings in Russia, including with security council deputy Dmitry Medvedev, were later canceled.
- On ARD’s Maischberger, Markus Frohnmaier denied a Russian threat to Germany, asserted “we are not at war with Russia,” and defended such trips as keeping communication channels open.
- On ZDF’s Markus Lanz, Tino Chrupalla likewise said he sees no current danger from Russia, drawing sharp rebuttals from critics who call the AfD’s line pro‑Kremlin and a security risk.