Two sources say Putin’s chief economic envoy and leaders of Alternative for
Germany (AfD) are preparing talks as early as March next year to discuss
resuming Russian gas supplies to Germany. Expected participants include the head
of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund and close Putin adviser Dmitriev, and AfD
co-chairs Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla. Organizers say the meeting would take
place only if Russia and Ukraine first reach a peace framework agreement and
hope it could open contacts between the AfD, Russia and the United States;
possible venues include Israel, the UAE or India. The initiative underlines
close Moscow–AfD ties; AfD is currently the most popular party in German polls.
Before Western sanctions in 2022, Russia supplied over half of Germany’s gas
imports.
