Putin envoy and far-right AfD prepare talks to get Russian gas back for Germany, sources say
BERLIN, Sept 18 - Russian President Vladimir Putin's top economic envoy and Germany's far-right AfD leadership have begun preparations to meet next year to discuss restarting gas supplies to Europe's biggest economy, two people familiar with the plan said.
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people → prepare → plan
The discussions for a meeting as early as March underline the close relations between Moscow and the AfD, which, although blocked from power by a coalition of its rivals, is Germany's most popular party with voters.
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which → underline → voters
The meeting would be attended by Kirill Dmitriev, who is a close adviser to Putin and who heads Russia's sovereign wealth fund, as well as AfD co-leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, one of the people said.
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one → attend → people
A spokesperson for the AfD and a representative for Dmitriev declined to comment.
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spokesperson → decline → Dmitriev
Before the sanctions imposed over Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia supplied more than a third of Germany's crude oil imports and more than half of its natural gas.
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Russia → impose → gas
The meeting would only happen if a peace framework was agreed first between Russia and Ukraine, and the organisers hoped it would bring together the AfD, Russia and the United States, the person said.
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person → happen → AfD
Possible locations for the summit included Israel, the United Arab Emirates or India, they added.
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they → include → Israel
Weidel advocated the end of a boycott of Russian oil and gas to bolster Germany's flagging economy in an interview with Reuters in June.
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Weidel → advocate → June
Organisers hoped Witkoff and Kushner would also attend the gas meeting, which would examine reopening the Russian Nord Stream gas pipelines, said the person.
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person → hop → pipelines
A senior US official told Reuters that Witkoff and Kushner have not been informed about or invited to the proposed summit.
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Witkoff → tell → summit
AfD HOPES TO SCORE WITH VOTERS
Any gathering would be symbolic, since the AfD does not govern.
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AfD → hop → VOTERS
But the preparations highlight the fragility of Germany's political system, where the longstanding refusal of mainstream parties to work with the far-right is being tested by the AfD's electoral success.
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refusal → highlight → success
The AfD has just won a major victory to become the biggest party in a state election in Saxony-Anhalt, and faces another test of its popularity on Sunday in an election in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
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AfD → win → Pomerania
The Russian Nord Stream gas pipelines enter Germany in this state.
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pipelines → enter → state
The American Chamber of Commerce in Moscow welcomed the idea as "a positive and timely step".
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Chamber → welcome → step
"Involving Germany as a key European economy can create a broader platform for discussing issues that are significant both for these countries and for the rest of the world," said Robert Agee, President of AmCham Russia.
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Agee → involve → Russia
Germany has struggled to recover from the shock caused by the shutdown of the key undersea Nord Stream pipelines, some of which were crippled by explosions in September 2022.
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some → struggle → September
But any effort to restart Russian gas supplies or Nord Stream would stoke fierce resistance, both in Germany and among its allies, particularly in Eastern Europe.
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effort → restart → Europe
"Germany cannot become dependent on Russia again," said Michael Kellner, a Green lawmaker who was in charge of German energy policy in government during the crisis triggered by the cut-off of Russian gas following its invasion of Ukraine.
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who → become → Ukraine
"We cannot repeat the mistakes of the energy crisis," he said.
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he → repeat → crisis
"It cost us €50 billion.
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It → cost → billion
We cannot want to go back to that.
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We → want → that
Putin is using the AfD to his own ends."
Roderich Kiesewetter, a member of parliament from Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democrats, said the AfD meeting could embolden those in his party who also favoured buying Russian gas.
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who → use → gas
The AfD is on Russia's side, willing to betray both the Ukraine and Germany.
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AfD → betray → Ukraine
Russia uses energy, especially Nord Stream, as a hybrid weapon for military purposes.
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Russia → use → purposes
Reopening Nord Stream would be a disaster for European security and isolate Germany."
The AfD has framed its call for a resumption of Russian gas supplies as pragmatic, with Weidel describing "cheap energy from Russia" as "the secret of the success of 'Made in Germany'."
The AfD hopes the meeting can illustrate their competence in foreign policy and show up the government for inaction in tackling high energy prices, said one of the sources.
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one → reopen → sources
Germany's support for Ukraine has become increasingly divisive.
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support → become → Ukraine
The country's relationship with Russia carries more weight in the east, which was under Soviet rule until the fall of the Berlin Wall more than 35 years ago.
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which → carry → Wall
Many there take a sympathetic stance towards Russia and a critical view of Germany's military protector, the United States.
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Many → take → protector
The Aporia
