Overview
- AfD leader Alice Weidel criticized the planned visit to Sochi and warned of party measures up to expulsion for breaching stated conditions.
- Rainer Rothfuß withdrew from the trip after internal talks, while Steffen Kotré intends to proceed, according to Weidel.
- Weidel said the authorization came from the Bundestag caucus’s foreign working group, leaving the leadership with little room to reverse it.
- She announced plans to restructure travel approvals at an upcoming faction board retreat and at a larger caucus meeting in February.
- Media previously reported a possible meeting with Dmitry Medvedev in Sochi and highlighted growing cross-party and internal criticism of the trip.