Weidel Demands Peace Talks as Germany’s Russia Rift Deepens

Alice Weidel, co-leader of Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD), has called on Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government to pursue peace negotiations over the war in Ukraine, accusing Berlin of intensifying confrontation with Moscow as Washington makes renewed efforts to revive diplomacy. Bundestag record

Speaking during Wednesday’s Bundestag general debate, Weidel sharply criticised the government’s Russia policy, accusing it of pursuing what she described as “war propaganda” and a further escalation of confrontation with Russia. German public broadcaster ARD also reported that Weidel attacked the government over its Russia policy and called for a different approach to the war. Read the Bundestag report

Weidel’s intervention comes as the diplomatic track surrounding the Ukraine war shows signs of renewed activity. Moscow said Wednesday that it hopes U.S.-mediated negotiations with Ukraine will resume, after talks stalled earlier this year. Reuters reported that Washington has renewed efforts to restart the process, while major disagreements — including over territory — remain unresolved. Reuters reports

That timing gives Weidel’s intervention significance beyond Wednesday’s parliamentary clash. The AfD had just recorded a major electoral breakthrough in Saxony-Anhalt, winning 43.8 percent of the vote against 17.2 percent for Merz’s CDU. The result strengthened the party’s claim that its political message is gaining traction beyond its traditional support base. Election results

Coming immediately after that result and amid renewed U.S. diplomatic activity, Weidel’s intervention allows the AfD to connect its domestic electoral momentum with a broader argument: that Germany’s Russia policy is increasingly out of step with a possible diplomatic opening. That is a political argument from the opposition party, rather than evidence that Berlin is preparing to change course.

Merz has rejected that approach and defended Germany’s continued support for Ukraine. During the same Bundestag debate, he accused the AfD of remaining aligned with Russian interests and described the political divide between the AfD and the established parties as a “deep rift” in foreign, European and peace policy. He also called the AfD a “destructive force.” Merz’s response

The confrontation therefore goes beyond a disagreement over a single diplomatic initiative. It reflects competing views of what Germany’s security strategy should look like: whether continued military and political pressure on Russia offers the best route to a settlement, or whether Berlin should begin preparing for greater diplomatic engagement with Moscow.

For Weidel and the AfD, the renewed U.S. diplomatic push provides an opportunity to argue that negotiations should take greater priority. For Merz’s government, however, continued support for Kyiv remains tied to the broader European security order and to Germany’s assessment of the threat posed by Russia.

Weidel’s call does not represent a change in German government policy. Instead, it exposes a widening political fault line over Germany’s role in the Ukraine war — one that is becoming more consequential as the AfD gains electoral strength and Washington again tests whether diplomacy can move the conflict toward negotiations.